By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Warren Dupree Elementary School has one of the highest literacy and math proficiency rates among district schools, patrons told Pulaski County Special School District administrators and board members Tuesday night.
Dupree is among those schools targeted for possible closure or reconfiguration as Pulaski County Special School District officials work to cuts costs in accordance with the fiscal distress improvement plan approved by the state’s Education Department this week.
A second Dupree meeting is slated for at 6 p.m. Monday.
That’s why more than 100 parents, grandparents, students and other patrons packed the school cafeteria on Tuesday night, intent upon keeping their school open.
That’s about twice the number of parents who attended similar meetings at Scott and Homer Adkins elementary schools in November.
The closures and reconfigurations should save the district about $600,000 a year.
The district is considering elementary schools with enrollment of 300 or less.
Five local elementary schools are among the nine under consideration for closure. They are Adkins, Arnold Drive, Dupree, Harris and Tolleson elementary schools.
School board president Pam Roberts told the group that the board could decide the fates of the schools being considered for closure at its monthly meeting on Dec. 13, but Interim Superintendent James Sharpe has said that no decision would be made until after thorough examination.
Roberts and board members Carol Burgett and Rev. James Bolden III joined Sharpe on the stage at Tuesday’s meeting.
Eddie Bunch, who pastors a Carlisle Church but lives in the district, presented a slide show bolstering the school’s claim to academic proficiency and other attributes. According to benchmark tests, two thirds of the students are at least proficient in literature and more than half in math. Compared to many other schools, those scores are stellar.
The average daily attendance at Dupree is about 295, but students have been shipped off to Clinton Elementary in Sherwood, he said.
“Give us back our kids from Clinton,” said Kathy Price, a parent. “I feel like Jacksonville’s being picked on.”
One mother said her 8-year-old has special needs and is at his third elementary school, but the first where he gets the extra attention he actually needs. “What are y’all going to do with my baby?” she asked.
Another woman tearfully said, “My husband and I are foster parents. We have six or eight kids at a time, including an autistic child. I have kids who have already lost everything they had.”
“You’re trying to treat our students as a business decision,” said one mother.
Many parents praised Shyrel Rose, the principal, for her care and attention. One grandmother told the officials that approximately 700 new homes were planned or under construction nearby, many of them certain to have elementary-aged children.
Parents complained about the late notification of the meeting. The district sent out its announcement Friday. In addition to Tuesday evening’s meeting at Dupree, district officials and some board members have met twice with patrons of Homer Adkins and Scott elementary schools.
According to its fiscal distress improvement plan, approved last week by the state’s Education Department, the district will close or reconfigure two elementary schools from a list of those with low enrollment, according to Sharpe.
One advantage of closing Dupree would be the relative ease of transporting its students to neighboring schools. District officials have said they would take transportation costs into account while determining which schools to close.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
TOP STORY >> Districts could be changing borders
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Even as contractors launch a quarter-million-dollar feasibility study that could result in the reconfiguration of Pulaski County’s three school districts, some residents of both Jacksonville and Sherwood each would like to have their own stand-alone district.
Alternatively, some would like a Jacksonville-Sherwood-northern Pulaski County district — or anything but the current setup.
William Gordon Associates of Saluda, N.C., already has started visiting with Pulaski County Special School District administrators, who said Monday that the Gordon group representatives had asked them not to comment to the media.
Currently, they are said to be gathering information on the condition of the buildings in the county’s three districts — Pulaski County Special School District, Little Rock School District and North Little Rock School District.
“They’ve just been hired, just begun rounding up information and visiting with schools and collecting reports,” said Julie Thompson, spokesperson for the state’s Education Department. “The process is getting started. “
She said the consultants are to finish their study and report back to the legislature by June 30.
The study could recommend two districts, one south of the Arkansas River and one north, or three districts, which would likely be one south of the river, one north of the river and a separate Jacksonville district.
The money for the feasibility study was included in the state’s Education Department budget by state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, and re-quired the department to commission the study.
Bond was active with the Jacksonville group — Educating Our Children — that unsuccessfully sought a separate school district about two years ago.
Rev. James Bolden III, Jack-sonville’s outspoken school board member, has championed a separate district for the town, and now he’s joined by Ronnie Calva, the Sherwood school representative, who would like to see Sherwood with its own school district.
“I’d prefer a separate Sherwood district,” Calva said. “The mayor appointed a committee to see about that. That committee will hold its first meeting Wednesday.
“I think there’s probably a movement among parents and people in the community. I believe Sherwood has the right to have its own district. If I can’t accomplish that, then we want the best we could do and I do what I can to move it along.”
Sherwood Mayor Bill Harmon last week appointed a four-person committee to monitor the school district situation.
He suggested that Jacksonville might have been more successful in its previous attempt to break away from the PCSSD if it had included Sherwood.
“We worked our (plan) off a feasibility study with three different boundaries,” rem-embered Dr. Greg Bollen, “and none were Sherwood.”
Bollen was chairman of EOC.
An anonymous donor funded that study, said Bollen, but it didn’t cost $240,000.
“Geographically, we pretty well should be separated from everybody,” Bollen said.
He said Jacksonville is already desegregated, not just in its schools but also in its neighborhoods.
“I’m thrilled they are doing a study,” Bollen said.
“I’m confident that they are going to find this should be done. Jacksonville has been getting the short end of the stick for 20 years.”
Bollen said if Jacksonville ever does get its own district, he expects there to be a trust fund of as much as $1 million to fund needed things.
Bond said he expected the consultants to suggest a plan satisfying the requirements of the school desegregation plan and achieving unitary school status.
Bond said Jacksonville had some different issues than Sher-wood.
“If you’re living in Jacksonville, it’s easy to go seven miles and get into Cabot School District,” Bond said.
“We have some bigger challenges on facilities.”
Bond said the two middle schools, Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville Elementary School, North Pulaski High School and Homer Adkins all need replacing.
Bond also said he thought the Sherwood schools were closer to the North Little Rock District and might be a more suitable match.
Leader staff writer
Even as contractors launch a quarter-million-dollar feasibility study that could result in the reconfiguration of Pulaski County’s three school districts, some residents of both Jacksonville and Sherwood each would like to have their own stand-alone district.
Alternatively, some would like a Jacksonville-Sherwood-northern Pulaski County district — or anything but the current setup.
William Gordon Associates of Saluda, N.C., already has started visiting with Pulaski County Special School District administrators, who said Monday that the Gordon group representatives had asked them not to comment to the media.
Currently, they are said to be gathering information on the condition of the buildings in the county’s three districts — Pulaski County Special School District, Little Rock School District and North Little Rock School District.
“They’ve just been hired, just begun rounding up information and visiting with schools and collecting reports,” said Julie Thompson, spokesperson for the state’s Education Department. “The process is getting started. “
She said the consultants are to finish their study and report back to the legislature by June 30.
The study could recommend two districts, one south of the Arkansas River and one north, or three districts, which would likely be one south of the river, one north of the river and a separate Jacksonville district.
The money for the feasibility study was included in the state’s Education Department budget by state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, and re-quired the department to commission the study.
Bond was active with the Jacksonville group — Educating Our Children — that unsuccessfully sought a separate school district about two years ago.
Rev. James Bolden III, Jack-sonville’s outspoken school board member, has championed a separate district for the town, and now he’s joined by Ronnie Calva, the Sherwood school representative, who would like to see Sherwood with its own school district.
“I’d prefer a separate Sherwood district,” Calva said. “The mayor appointed a committee to see about that. That committee will hold its first meeting Wednesday.
“I think there’s probably a movement among parents and people in the community. I believe Sherwood has the right to have its own district. If I can’t accomplish that, then we want the best we could do and I do what I can to move it along.”
Sherwood Mayor Bill Harmon last week appointed a four-person committee to monitor the school district situation.
He suggested that Jacksonville might have been more successful in its previous attempt to break away from the PCSSD if it had included Sherwood.
“We worked our (plan) off a feasibility study with three different boundaries,” rem-embered Dr. Greg Bollen, “and none were Sherwood.”
Bollen was chairman of EOC.
An anonymous donor funded that study, said Bollen, but it didn’t cost $240,000.
“Geographically, we pretty well should be separated from everybody,” Bollen said.
He said Jacksonville is already desegregated, not just in its schools but also in its neighborhoods.
“I’m thrilled they are doing a study,” Bollen said.
“I’m confident that they are going to find this should be done. Jacksonville has been getting the short end of the stick for 20 years.”
Bollen said if Jacksonville ever does get its own district, he expects there to be a trust fund of as much as $1 million to fund needed things.
Bond said he expected the consultants to suggest a plan satisfying the requirements of the school desegregation plan and achieving unitary school status.
Bond said Jacksonville had some different issues than Sher-wood.
“If you’re living in Jacksonville, it’s easy to go seven miles and get into Cabot School District,” Bond said.
“We have some bigger challenges on facilities.”
Bond said the two middle schools, Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville Elementary School, North Pulaski High School and Homer Adkins all need replacing.
Bond also said he thought the Sherwood schools were closer to the North Little Rock District and might be a more suitable match.
TOP STORY >> Budget in Cabot shaping up for '06
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
As Cabot Police Chief Jackie Davis sat down at a conference table at city hall Monday evening to begin justifying the budget he had submitted for council approval, Alderman Eddie Cook leaned forward in his seat and proclaimed a loud “no.”
“Just practicing,” he told Davis, but Cook never used the word again. The council’s budget committee had nothing but praise for Davis’ department, and if they disapproved of the expenditures he proposes for 2006, they didn’t show it.
Davis’ presentation came about midway in a budget committee meeting that started at 4 p.m. and lasted until 8:30 p.m.
Each department head took a turn explaining what they need and why from a budget with a format the committee is hopeful will be standardized and completely understandable by the time it is submitted later this month to the full council. One purpose for the marathon meeting was to work out the glitches in the format.
The full council must accept the new budget by Feb. 1, but the budget committee, chaired by Alderman David Polantz, is hopeful that it will be approved well in advance of that deadline. A second meeting to discuss the budget has been set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The $7.4 million operating budget Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh submitted for council approval by the Dec. 1 deadline, is about $4 million less than the 2005 budget, not because revenue is down but because the water department, the city’s biggest money-maker, will be turned over to a commission on Jan. 1.
This year’s budget is only for the general fund and street fund. If water and sewer were included as they have been in the past, the budget would be almost $13 million compared to $11.4 million in 2005. The increase is largely due to last year’s increase in water rates that have generated about $1.5 million in revenue not needed for debt or other expenses.
The police chief is asking for almost $2.5 million, about $400,000 more than in the 2005 budget. Part of the increase is for five new positions — three police officers and two dispatchers .
Davis proposes creating a captains position that would be equivalent to an assistant police chief, adding one lieutenant and an additional patrol officer.
He is hopeful that adding two dispatchers will help the high turnover rate (50 percent so far in 2005) that plagues his department.
“The dispatchers’ workload has become phenomenal,” he said, adding that in addition to dispatching officers, the work includes answering phone calls from the public and tending prisoners in the jail.
“Five years ago, you had mostly drunks. Now the majority are violent criminals,” he said.
The committee suggested that hiring more than two dispatchers would help and Davis responded that the dispatch room wasn’t big enough for more.
The committee suggested in-creasing the salary which starts at $9 an hour.
Peggy Moss, director of human resources, responded “If you in-crease the dispatcher, you’re going to risk getting it too close to the police officer” that has a starting salary of $10.41.
Davis agreed that would create problems within the department because the officers go to the police academy and they work the streets, a more dangerous job.
Davis also is asking for $50,000 for an automated finger printing system that would connect to the state system and ultimately to the FBI system.
The system would give identifications from fingerprints within 20 minutes, he told the committee and the committee didn’t say “no.”
Fire Chief Phillip Robinson proposes a budget of $1.7 million which includes adding three firefighters and promoting six firefighters to lieutenant. He told the committee that he would like to start acquiring more comfortable gear for his firefighters, but not in 2006.
Robinson’s request for a new fire station and truck in the area of Magness Creek and Greystone will likely remain unfunded in 2006.
Robinson told the committee that he believes land for the station will be donated, but even then the station alone would cost a minimum of $1 million. But unless it is built soon, the city could risk higher insurance rates because that area is not adequately covered. “This is the year we’ve got to find the land and get this thing started,” Polantz said.
Public Works, headed by Jim Towe, will be cut in half as of Jan. 1, 2006, after city voters approved the creation of a Water and Wastewater Commission to run those two departments. Towe’s budget was the largest last year. This year total expenses are down to $358,562. He is asking for two new trucks to replace two that he says are not likely to last another year.
Towe also appealed to the committee to restore his salary to one that he said would be more equitable for the three years of dedicated service he has given the city. Last year his salary was about $60,000. In the proposed budget it was cut to $50,000.
Since the city engineer, which is under the public works director, will be paid $55,650 in 2006 if the budget passes as proposed, Towe said he deserved at least that amount.
The committee agreed and the salary was changed.
Alderman Odis Waymack, who does not serve on the committee but attended the meeting, said he believed Towe could do the work of the city engineer, since no city engineer on staff with the city has ever used his engineer’s credentials on a city job.
Towe conceded the truth of Waymack’s statement, but he said in 2006, the city engineer would design five, one-lane bridges that are to be constructed on First Street using bond money secured by a one-cent tax approved by city voters.
Leader staff writer
As Cabot Police Chief Jackie Davis sat down at a conference table at city hall Monday evening to begin justifying the budget he had submitted for council approval, Alderman Eddie Cook leaned forward in his seat and proclaimed a loud “no.”
“Just practicing,” he told Davis, but Cook never used the word again. The council’s budget committee had nothing but praise for Davis’ department, and if they disapproved of the expenditures he proposes for 2006, they didn’t show it.
Davis’ presentation came about midway in a budget committee meeting that started at 4 p.m. and lasted until 8:30 p.m.
Each department head took a turn explaining what they need and why from a budget with a format the committee is hopeful will be standardized and completely understandable by the time it is submitted later this month to the full council. One purpose for the marathon meeting was to work out the glitches in the format.
The full council must accept the new budget by Feb. 1, but the budget committee, chaired by Alderman David Polantz, is hopeful that it will be approved well in advance of that deadline. A second meeting to discuss the budget has been set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The $7.4 million operating budget Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh submitted for council approval by the Dec. 1 deadline, is about $4 million less than the 2005 budget, not because revenue is down but because the water department, the city’s biggest money-maker, will be turned over to a commission on Jan. 1.
This year’s budget is only for the general fund and street fund. If water and sewer were included as they have been in the past, the budget would be almost $13 million compared to $11.4 million in 2005. The increase is largely due to last year’s increase in water rates that have generated about $1.5 million in revenue not needed for debt or other expenses.
The police chief is asking for almost $2.5 million, about $400,000 more than in the 2005 budget. Part of the increase is for five new positions — three police officers and two dispatchers .
Davis proposes creating a captains position that would be equivalent to an assistant police chief, adding one lieutenant and an additional patrol officer.
He is hopeful that adding two dispatchers will help the high turnover rate (50 percent so far in 2005) that plagues his department.
“The dispatchers’ workload has become phenomenal,” he said, adding that in addition to dispatching officers, the work includes answering phone calls from the public and tending prisoners in the jail.
“Five years ago, you had mostly drunks. Now the majority are violent criminals,” he said.
The committee suggested that hiring more than two dispatchers would help and Davis responded that the dispatch room wasn’t big enough for more.
The committee suggested in-creasing the salary which starts at $9 an hour.
Peggy Moss, director of human resources, responded “If you in-crease the dispatcher, you’re going to risk getting it too close to the police officer” that has a starting salary of $10.41.
Davis agreed that would create problems within the department because the officers go to the police academy and they work the streets, a more dangerous job.
Davis also is asking for $50,000 for an automated finger printing system that would connect to the state system and ultimately to the FBI system.
The system would give identifications from fingerprints within 20 minutes, he told the committee and the committee didn’t say “no.”
Fire Chief Phillip Robinson proposes a budget of $1.7 million which includes adding three firefighters and promoting six firefighters to lieutenant. He told the committee that he would like to start acquiring more comfortable gear for his firefighters, but not in 2006.
Robinson’s request for a new fire station and truck in the area of Magness Creek and Greystone will likely remain unfunded in 2006.
Robinson told the committee that he believes land for the station will be donated, but even then the station alone would cost a minimum of $1 million. But unless it is built soon, the city could risk higher insurance rates because that area is not adequately covered. “This is the year we’ve got to find the land and get this thing started,” Polantz said.
Public Works, headed by Jim Towe, will be cut in half as of Jan. 1, 2006, after city voters approved the creation of a Water and Wastewater Commission to run those two departments. Towe’s budget was the largest last year. This year total expenses are down to $358,562. He is asking for two new trucks to replace two that he says are not likely to last another year.
Towe also appealed to the committee to restore his salary to one that he said would be more equitable for the three years of dedicated service he has given the city. Last year his salary was about $60,000. In the proposed budget it was cut to $50,000.
Since the city engineer, which is under the public works director, will be paid $55,650 in 2006 if the budget passes as proposed, Towe said he deserved at least that amount.
The committee agreed and the salary was changed.
Alderman Odis Waymack, who does not serve on the committee but attended the meeting, said he believed Towe could do the work of the city engineer, since no city engineer on staff with the city has ever used his engineer’s credentials on a city job.
Towe conceded the truth of Waymack’s statement, but he said in 2006, the city engineer would design five, one-lane bridges that are to be constructed on First Street using bond money secured by a one-cent tax approved by city voters.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
OBITUARIES
RAYMOND BERNT
Raymond F. Bernt, 92, of Jack-sonville, formerly of Columbus, Neb., died Nov. 23 at Rebsamen Medical Center in Jacksonville.
He was born Oct. 7, 1913, in Platte Center to Gustav and Theresa (Greisen) Bernt. He attended District 25 Platte County School. On Oct. 14, 1937, he married Catheryn Good in Central City, Neb.
He entered the Navy and served during WWII from 1944 to 1945. He owned his own sheet-metal business for more than 20 years in Columbus before retiring to Jacksonville in 1988. He was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Jacksonville and a member of the Order of Eagles.
He is survived by sons, Ronald and wife Connie Bernt of Cabot, John and wife Beth Bernt of Columbia, Mo., and Gustaf and wife Linda Bernt of Beebe; daughters, Judy Davis of Jacksonville and Donna Aldrich of Jacksonville; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, son, Raymond Bernt, daughters, Marie and Catheryn Bernt, two grandchildren, Ronna and Christopher, and sons-in-law Ed Davis and John Aldrich.
A mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Colum-bus with Father Joe Miksch officiating.
Interment will be in the St. Bonaventure Cemetery in Columbus. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Gass Haney Funeral Home.
Memorials can be made to St. Isidore Catholic Church or St. Jude Catholic Church in Jacksonville.
Raymond F. Bernt, 92, of Jack-sonville, formerly of Columbus, Neb., died Nov. 23 at Rebsamen Medical Center in Jacksonville.
He was born Oct. 7, 1913, in Platte Center to Gustav and Theresa (Greisen) Bernt. He attended District 25 Platte County School. On Oct. 14, 1937, he married Catheryn Good in Central City, Neb.
He entered the Navy and served during WWII from 1944 to 1945. He owned his own sheet-metal business for more than 20 years in Columbus before retiring to Jacksonville in 1988. He was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Jacksonville and a member of the Order of Eagles.
He is survived by sons, Ronald and wife Connie Bernt of Cabot, John and wife Beth Bernt of Columbia, Mo., and Gustaf and wife Linda Bernt of Beebe; daughters, Judy Davis of Jacksonville and Donna Aldrich of Jacksonville; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, son, Raymond Bernt, daughters, Marie and Catheryn Bernt, two grandchildren, Ronna and Christopher, and sons-in-law Ed Davis and John Aldrich.
A mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Colum-bus with Father Joe Miksch officiating.
Interment will be in the St. Bonaventure Cemetery in Columbus. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Gass Haney Funeral Home.
Memorials can be made to St. Isidore Catholic Church or St. Jude Catholic Church in Jacksonville.
EVENTS
Annual tour of homes on tap in Jacksonville
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville will host their annual Christmas tour of homes from 2-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.11.
The following homes are included on the tour: Mr. and Mrs. John Vanderhoof, Mr. and Mrs. Gid Branscum, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Carlisle, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Sherman.
Tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit the underprivileged children of Jacksonville.
For ticket information please call Mandy Watson at 501-982-1241 or 501-766-4979.
Also, tickets can be purchased at Double R Florist and Aspen Leaf.
Sherwood church plans Christmas musical
First Baptist Church of Sherwood’s sanctuary choir, orchestra and drama team will present the Christmas musical based on the birth of Jesus called “One Incredible Moment” at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11 in the worship center.
All are welcome to attend this free event at 701 Country Club Road in Sherwood. Call 835-3154 for more information.
Lonoke retired teachers group to meet Monday
Lonoke County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon, Monday at C.J.’s Café. Mary Ann Hughes will speak on the Medicaid Prescription Drug Program.
After lunch the group will go to Spring Creek Nursing Home to sing Christmas carols.
For further information call Jean Davenport at 843-5694.
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville will host their annual Christmas tour of homes from 2-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.11.
The following homes are included on the tour: Mr. and Mrs. John Vanderhoof, Mr. and Mrs. Gid Branscum, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Carlisle, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Sherman.
Tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit the underprivileged children of Jacksonville.
For ticket information please call Mandy Watson at 501-982-1241 or 501-766-4979.
Also, tickets can be purchased at Double R Florist and Aspen Leaf.
Sherwood church plans Christmas musical
First Baptist Church of Sherwood’s sanctuary choir, orchestra and drama team will present the Christmas musical based on the birth of Jesus called “One Incredible Moment” at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11 in the worship center.
All are welcome to attend this free event at 701 Country Club Road in Sherwood. Call 835-3154 for more information.
Lonoke retired teachers group to meet Monday
Lonoke County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon, Monday at C.J.’s Café. Mary Ann Hughes will speak on the Medicaid Prescription Drug Program.
After lunch the group will go to Spring Creek Nursing Home to sing Christmas carols.
For further information call Jean Davenport at 843-5694.
EDITORIAL >> Forgotten Americans
Here’s a thought this holiday weekend: Why isn’t anybody around here looking out for the little guy or gal these days?
The fat cats in Washington are helping themselves to billions of dollars worth of special projects — from bridges to nowhere to museums to local notables — but here we are, working longer and harder, and we’re still sending too much of it to Washington and Little Rock and spending what’s left at the gas pump.
Oh, sure, there’s symbolic tax relief now and then, but the bureaucrats and the fat cats and the oil companies are doing very well for themselves, but not the forgotten American.
If you earn a few thousand dollars a year, you will be happy to know that the federal government is going to cut your taxes by $15 to $40 a year starting in January. You can thank President Bush and a generous Congress, which included this round of tax cuts in 2001. It is one of the last tax cuts for the wealthy to be phased in from four rounds of tax cuts in the president’s first term.
If your annual earnings are in the millions of dollars, you have more to be thankful for. You can keep a few thousand dollars more of your hard-earned coupons starting in January.
If you are among the lowest 97 percent of earners, this round is not for you.
The first President Bush in 1991 signed a law phasing out some deductions and exemptions for very high incomes to make the tax code fairer for working people and to reduce the ballooning budget deficit. One of his son’s first acts as president was to repeal his dad’s good work and reinstate high-income allowances for itemized deductions and personal exemptions.
Here in Arkansas nearly all the tax benefits will go to a few of the state’s great personal fortunes. The idea is that some of them might turn around and invest the savings in a way that will create jobs for the rest of us.
Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, are trying to get Congress to repeal the tax cuts before they take effect in January, which would stop further swelling of the federal budget deficit or perhaps protect some Medicaid medical benefits or student loans for Arkansas kids.
Congress seems to be in no mood to attend to such trifling concerns, but our senators might appreciate having it brought to their attention.
The fat cats in Washington are helping themselves to billions of dollars worth of special projects — from bridges to nowhere to museums to local notables — but here we are, working longer and harder, and we’re still sending too much of it to Washington and Little Rock and spending what’s left at the gas pump.
Oh, sure, there’s symbolic tax relief now and then, but the bureaucrats and the fat cats and the oil companies are doing very well for themselves, but not the forgotten American.
If you earn a few thousand dollars a year, you will be happy to know that the federal government is going to cut your taxes by $15 to $40 a year starting in January. You can thank President Bush and a generous Congress, which included this round of tax cuts in 2001. It is one of the last tax cuts for the wealthy to be phased in from four rounds of tax cuts in the president’s first term.
If your annual earnings are in the millions of dollars, you have more to be thankful for. You can keep a few thousand dollars more of your hard-earned coupons starting in January.
If you are among the lowest 97 percent of earners, this round is not for you.
The first President Bush in 1991 signed a law phasing out some deductions and exemptions for very high incomes to make the tax code fairer for working people and to reduce the ballooning budget deficit. One of his son’s first acts as president was to repeal his dad’s good work and reinstate high-income allowances for itemized deductions and personal exemptions.
Here in Arkansas nearly all the tax benefits will go to a few of the state’s great personal fortunes. The idea is that some of them might turn around and invest the savings in a way that will create jobs for the rest of us.
Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, are trying to get Congress to repeal the tax cuts before they take effect in January, which would stop further swelling of the federal budget deficit or perhaps protect some Medicaid medical benefits or student loans for Arkansas kids.
Congress seems to be in no mood to attend to such trifling concerns, but our senators might appreciate having it brought to their attention.
EDITORIAL >> More debt for colleges?
Colleges and universities will never have an overabundance of buildings and facilities, not in this poor state, and borrowing is as good a way to get them as there is, except one. That would be to build them with the cash you have on hand and avoid the lengthy debt and interest.
So does the state have $150 million in cash that the institutions want, or must it sell bonds? The issue before voters on Dec. 13 is not quite that simple, but it frames the questions.
Gov. Huckabee called a special election on that day to restructure some $250 million of 15-year-old college savings bonds, which would free $150 million for new buildings and equipment at the state-supported universities and the two-year colleges. While he was at it, Huckabee put a second issue on the same ballot, whether to authorize the state Highway Commission to keep borrowing money at its pleasure to repair interstate highways when the current debt is repaid in five to eight years. We have told you why we think the highway issue should be defeated. The interstates can be repaired almost as quickly and much more economically by paying as we go, and the state would not be relinquishing a fair part of popular rule.
The college bond question is not so easy. People of good will can disagree reasonably on the value of the college buildings and the wisdom of the bond financing, but they need to look behind the salesmanship. Matters are never so desperate or the exigencies so clear as the sponsors suggest.
Bonds or cash. The state is building a cash surplus that is expected to be close to $300 million by the time the biennium ends in July 2007, and more than half of that will be available next summer.
Could it be used for the college buildings and avoid the debt? Yes, but the legislature would have to appropriate it for the colleges, and lawmakers proved again this year that they would rather use these cash balances on local pork-barrel projects that help them get re-elected. The Arkansas Supreme Court might hold the legislature and Gov. Huckabee in contempt for not providing enough money for public school construction needs, in which case part of the $300 million could be dedicated to that. But it is an option for higher education. Would you trust the legislature to be so prudent?
The need. Gov. Huckabee and Dr. Linda Beene, the director of higher education, say that enrollment on the campuses has been growing rapidly the past 10 years, far outstripping the campuses’ physical expansion.
Enrollment has been growing, a very good thing, but it has been accompanied by capital improvements of unparalleled volume in Arkansas history. A look at the vouchered expenditures of public funds at the state treasury from 1995 through 2004 shows that the institutions have spent nearly $1 billion — $917,360,013 to be exact — on capital improvements. Another $250 million or more has been spent on buildings and athletic facilities with grants from the great family fortunes and foundations. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation alone gave the institutions $132,081,364 between 1995 and 2003 for new buildings, all of which now bear the name of the media mogul.
But not all of the money was spent on the priority needs of teaching: classrooms, research facilities, performance halls and the like. The University of Arkansas spent more than $100 million expanding and renovating its football stadium and several million more upgrading other athletic facilities. So a few of the campuses may indeed have severe academic shortages. The law, incidentally, would not permit any of the bond money from being used on sports facilities.
Timing. Unlike the highway bonds, which would not be issued until late 2010 or beyond, there is some argument for voting on higher education bonds rather than in the 2006 general election or later if you are going to sell bonds at all. The special election will cost $1 million; putting it on the general election ballot would cost nothing. If you are going to issue bonds, better to do it now while long-term interest rates are low. They will go up and up.
Taxes. No new taxes would be levied and no other program would be affected, Huckabee said. The bonds would be repaid not from new taxes, but it is wrong to say the bonds would affect no other program. The state takes $24 million a year from general revenues to retire the existing bonds, the first batch of which were issued in 1991. After restructuring the current debt to pay off some $100 million owed to investors over the life of the existing bonds, the state would commit that $24 million a year for another 20 years. If the bonds are defeated, that money after the last of the current bonds are retired in 2017 would lapse back into the general fund to pay for the public schools, Medicaid, law enforcement and all the rest.
So the question for voters is this: Are college buildings and research facilities of such overriding priority that they should stand ahead of other needs, principally the schools, in the call against the state’s public credit? As the sports announcers say, it’s a judgment call.
So does the state have $150 million in cash that the institutions want, or must it sell bonds? The issue before voters on Dec. 13 is not quite that simple, but it frames the questions.
Gov. Huckabee called a special election on that day to restructure some $250 million of 15-year-old college savings bonds, which would free $150 million for new buildings and equipment at the state-supported universities and the two-year colleges. While he was at it, Huckabee put a second issue on the same ballot, whether to authorize the state Highway Commission to keep borrowing money at its pleasure to repair interstate highways when the current debt is repaid in five to eight years. We have told you why we think the highway issue should be defeated. The interstates can be repaired almost as quickly and much more economically by paying as we go, and the state would not be relinquishing a fair part of popular rule.
The college bond question is not so easy. People of good will can disagree reasonably on the value of the college buildings and the wisdom of the bond financing, but they need to look behind the salesmanship. Matters are never so desperate or the exigencies so clear as the sponsors suggest.
Bonds or cash. The state is building a cash surplus that is expected to be close to $300 million by the time the biennium ends in July 2007, and more than half of that will be available next summer.
Could it be used for the college buildings and avoid the debt? Yes, but the legislature would have to appropriate it for the colleges, and lawmakers proved again this year that they would rather use these cash balances on local pork-barrel projects that help them get re-elected. The Arkansas Supreme Court might hold the legislature and Gov. Huckabee in contempt for not providing enough money for public school construction needs, in which case part of the $300 million could be dedicated to that. But it is an option for higher education. Would you trust the legislature to be so prudent?
The need. Gov. Huckabee and Dr. Linda Beene, the director of higher education, say that enrollment on the campuses has been growing rapidly the past 10 years, far outstripping the campuses’ physical expansion.
Enrollment has been growing, a very good thing, but it has been accompanied by capital improvements of unparalleled volume in Arkansas history. A look at the vouchered expenditures of public funds at the state treasury from 1995 through 2004 shows that the institutions have spent nearly $1 billion — $917,360,013 to be exact — on capital improvements. Another $250 million or more has been spent on buildings and athletic facilities with grants from the great family fortunes and foundations. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation alone gave the institutions $132,081,364 between 1995 and 2003 for new buildings, all of which now bear the name of the media mogul.
But not all of the money was spent on the priority needs of teaching: classrooms, research facilities, performance halls and the like. The University of Arkansas spent more than $100 million expanding and renovating its football stadium and several million more upgrading other athletic facilities. So a few of the campuses may indeed have severe academic shortages. The law, incidentally, would not permit any of the bond money from being used on sports facilities.
Timing. Unlike the highway bonds, which would not be issued until late 2010 or beyond, there is some argument for voting on higher education bonds rather than in the 2006 general election or later if you are going to sell bonds at all. The special election will cost $1 million; putting it on the general election ballot would cost nothing. If you are going to issue bonds, better to do it now while long-term interest rates are low. They will go up and up.
Taxes. No new taxes would be levied and no other program would be affected, Huckabee said. The bonds would be repaid not from new taxes, but it is wrong to say the bonds would affect no other program. The state takes $24 million a year from general revenues to retire the existing bonds, the first batch of which were issued in 1991. After restructuring the current debt to pay off some $100 million owed to investors over the life of the existing bonds, the state would commit that $24 million a year for another 20 years. If the bonds are defeated, that money after the last of the current bonds are retired in 2017 would lapse back into the general fund to pay for the public schools, Medicaid, law enforcement and all the rest.
So the question for voters is this: Are college buildings and research facilities of such overriding priority that they should stand ahead of other needs, principally the schools, in the call against the state’s public credit? As the sports announcers say, it’s a judgment call.
SPORTS >> Dragons end Wildcats’ title hopes with breakaway run
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Harding Academy’s perfect season came to an end with 2:11 left in the game Friday when Junction City’s Justin Hoof ran 86 yards to put the Dragons ahead for the first time in the contest. Prior to Hoof’s breakaway run, the HA defense had contained Hoof well, holding him to 23 yards on 11 carries.
The Wildcats tried to respond with a pair of last minute drives, but both resulted in interceptions. Junction City held on to take the 21-16 win, propelling them into the AA semifinals for the fifth straight year.
Friday night’s game was a tale of two halves, with Harding Academy dominating in the first half, jumping out a 14-0 lead over the Dragons while holding JC to 20 yards of total offense in the process.
Junction City looked like a different team altogether in the second half, shutting down HA quarterback Zach Tribble and the spread offense, while Dragon junior tailback Justin Easter began to pound the Wildcat defense with some solid runs.
Junction City coach David Carpenter says his team’s amazing second half comeback is nothing new this season.
“We’ve come from behind in just about every game we’ve been in this year,” Carpenter said. “We knew we were going to have to have a big run in just a minute, I just didn’t think it was going to be that one. We ran a trap back to the weak side, and it worked out well for us. The second half has been our half.”
Harding Academy coach Tommy Shoemaker was emotional after the difficult loss.
“Sometimes momentum is a funny thing,” Shoemaker said. “You can’t get it back, and they’ve got it. Hey, they’ve got tradition, so do we.
“They didn’t give up, they didn’t get down. They knew what they had to do and they did it. We didn’t, and that’s what it all came down to.”
The first half looked as if Harding Academy would take another easy playoff win, as the HA defense allowed two first downs in the first half. One of those first downs for Junction City was the result of an offsides penalty against the Wildcats.
Harding Academy did all of their damage in the opening quarter, scoring on their second and third possessions of the game.
The first score came on a 10- play, 48-yard drive capped off with a 4-yard TD keeper from Zach Tribble with 6:46 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats’ next drive was almost identical, with HA going 52 yards in 11 plays, with Zach Tribble finding Chase Ransom for the 6-yard touchdown pass in the final 10 seconds of the first quarter.
Junction City’s running game had no steam in the first half. Junior standouts Justin Easter and Justin Hoof were held for a combined six yards rushing on seven carries.
The majority of the Dragons’ yardage in the first half was a 12-yard pass play from QB Steven Jones to Anthony Carter.
Harding Academy continued to stop Hoof in the second half, but Easter started to find his way through the HA secondary. The Dragons’ offensive line began to open up some holes for the runner, and Easter took advantage.
Easter got all of his 106 yards rushing in the second half, and put Junction City on the board for the first time with 7:23 left in the third quarter. Easter went over the top for the score on first and goal from the 1-yard line.
Jones scored the Dragons’ next TD to start out the fourth quarter with a sneak at the Harding Academy goal line to tie things up at 14 all with 11:10 left in the game.
It began to look as if the game might be headed towards overtime, as the two teams traded the ball back and forth.
Luke Tribble thwarted JC’s next drive with an interception inside the Wildcats’ 5-yard line.
Zach Tribble kept the next drive alive for Harding Academy with a fake punt that resulted in a 13-yard run for the first down, but two incomplete passes and a two-yard loss for halfback J.T. Fisher forced another fourth-down situation.
Tribble punted for real this time, and the Dragons took over from their own 14-yard line.
The whole complexion of the game changed on the next play, when Hoof took the ball on the right side, but was met at the line of scrimmage by two HA defenders. The Wildcats defenders wrapped Hoof up, but he worked his way free. Hoof then took it all the way in from there, putting the Dragons ahead 21-14 with just over two minutes left.
Tribble was intercepted twice in the final two minutes, first on a pass intended for Eddie Koch at the JC 4-yard line. Easter came down with the pass, and the Dragons attempted to run out the clock.
With all three timeouts remaining for Harding Academy, Junction City was unable to run the remaining minute and a half off the clock.
Jones ran the ball into the JC end zone on fourth down to run as many seconds off the clock as possible, giving the Wildcats the safety with eight seconds remaining.
After the free kick went out of bounds, the Wildcats took over from their own 40-yard line with one more shot at the win. Tribble tried to find his brother Luke on the first pass, but it was broken up by the JC defenders with one second left.
The second hail-Mary pass intended for Ransom was intercepted by Justin Cook, ending the 6AA-conference champion’s season with a final record of 12-1.
Tribble’s stats told the story for Harding Academy’s offense in the game. The senior quarterback completed 14 of 29 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown in the first half as well as a rushing touchdown, while only completing five of 18 passes for 66 yards and two interceptions in the second half.
The loss ends an incredible run for the Harding Academy seniors. Luke Tribble, Kurt Adams, Jacob Odom and the rest of the HA seniors have had three successful years as part of the Harding Academy football program.
Leader sports writer
Harding Academy’s perfect season came to an end with 2:11 left in the game Friday when Junction City’s Justin Hoof ran 86 yards to put the Dragons ahead for the first time in the contest. Prior to Hoof’s breakaway run, the HA defense had contained Hoof well, holding him to 23 yards on 11 carries.
The Wildcats tried to respond with a pair of last minute drives, but both resulted in interceptions. Junction City held on to take the 21-16 win, propelling them into the AA semifinals for the fifth straight year.
Friday night’s game was a tale of two halves, with Harding Academy dominating in the first half, jumping out a 14-0 lead over the Dragons while holding JC to 20 yards of total offense in the process.
Junction City looked like a different team altogether in the second half, shutting down HA quarterback Zach Tribble and the spread offense, while Dragon junior tailback Justin Easter began to pound the Wildcat defense with some solid runs.
Junction City coach David Carpenter says his team’s amazing second half comeback is nothing new this season.
“We’ve come from behind in just about every game we’ve been in this year,” Carpenter said. “We knew we were going to have to have a big run in just a minute, I just didn’t think it was going to be that one. We ran a trap back to the weak side, and it worked out well for us. The second half has been our half.”
Harding Academy coach Tommy Shoemaker was emotional after the difficult loss.
“Sometimes momentum is a funny thing,” Shoemaker said. “You can’t get it back, and they’ve got it. Hey, they’ve got tradition, so do we.
“They didn’t give up, they didn’t get down. They knew what they had to do and they did it. We didn’t, and that’s what it all came down to.”
The first half looked as if Harding Academy would take another easy playoff win, as the HA defense allowed two first downs in the first half. One of those first downs for Junction City was the result of an offsides penalty against the Wildcats.
Harding Academy did all of their damage in the opening quarter, scoring on their second and third possessions of the game.
The first score came on a 10- play, 48-yard drive capped off with a 4-yard TD keeper from Zach Tribble with 6:46 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats’ next drive was almost identical, with HA going 52 yards in 11 plays, with Zach Tribble finding Chase Ransom for the 6-yard touchdown pass in the final 10 seconds of the first quarter.
Junction City’s running game had no steam in the first half. Junior standouts Justin Easter and Justin Hoof were held for a combined six yards rushing on seven carries.
The majority of the Dragons’ yardage in the first half was a 12-yard pass play from QB Steven Jones to Anthony Carter.
Harding Academy continued to stop Hoof in the second half, but Easter started to find his way through the HA secondary. The Dragons’ offensive line began to open up some holes for the runner, and Easter took advantage.
Easter got all of his 106 yards rushing in the second half, and put Junction City on the board for the first time with 7:23 left in the third quarter. Easter went over the top for the score on first and goal from the 1-yard line.
Jones scored the Dragons’ next TD to start out the fourth quarter with a sneak at the Harding Academy goal line to tie things up at 14 all with 11:10 left in the game.
It began to look as if the game might be headed towards overtime, as the two teams traded the ball back and forth.
Luke Tribble thwarted JC’s next drive with an interception inside the Wildcats’ 5-yard line.
Zach Tribble kept the next drive alive for Harding Academy with a fake punt that resulted in a 13-yard run for the first down, but two incomplete passes and a two-yard loss for halfback J.T. Fisher forced another fourth-down situation.
Tribble punted for real this time, and the Dragons took over from their own 14-yard line.
The whole complexion of the game changed on the next play, when Hoof took the ball on the right side, but was met at the line of scrimmage by two HA defenders. The Wildcats defenders wrapped Hoof up, but he worked his way free. Hoof then took it all the way in from there, putting the Dragons ahead 21-14 with just over two minutes left.
Tribble was intercepted twice in the final two minutes, first on a pass intended for Eddie Koch at the JC 4-yard line. Easter came down with the pass, and the Dragons attempted to run out the clock.
With all three timeouts remaining for Harding Academy, Junction City was unable to run the remaining minute and a half off the clock.
Jones ran the ball into the JC end zone on fourth down to run as many seconds off the clock as possible, giving the Wildcats the safety with eight seconds remaining.
After the free kick went out of bounds, the Wildcats took over from their own 40-yard line with one more shot at the win. Tribble tried to find his brother Luke on the first pass, but it was broken up by the JC defenders with one second left.
The second hail-Mary pass intended for Ransom was intercepted by Justin Cook, ending the 6AA-conference champion’s season with a final record of 12-1.
Tribble’s stats told the story for Harding Academy’s offense in the game. The senior quarterback completed 14 of 29 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown in the first half as well as a rushing touchdown, while only completing five of 18 passes for 66 yards and two interceptions in the second half.
The loss ends an incredible run for the Harding Academy seniors. Luke Tribble, Kurt Adams, Jacob Odom and the rest of the HA seniors have had three successful years as part of the Harding Academy football program.
SPORTS >> Cabot towers over NP
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
A solid team performance in the second half propelled the Cabot Panthers to a 45-28 win over North Pulaski in the opening round of the Ortho Arkansas Invitational basketball tournament at CAC on Monday night.
The Falcons kept it close through the first half, trailing by three points at the intermission.
Cabot took advantage of NP turnovers early in the third period to extend their lead into double digits. North Pulaski was not able to overcome that deficit for the remainder of the game, and the Panthers took the first-round win.
Cabot head coach Jerry Bridges was proud of the all around performance from his team.
“I thought in the first half, we got a little impatient,” Bridges said. “We are a better team when everybody touches the ball and gets involved. In the second half, we did a good job of that. We just got to doing what we do best.”
Alex Sharpe led Cabot with 12 points and six rebounds. Rodric Rainey led North Pulaski in scoring with seven points, while NP post player Mike Anorue led all rebounders with seven on the night.
Cabot got out to the early lead with some quick scoring from Michael Tyson. Tyson hit a pair of free throws and moments later took it in the paint for two more to put the Panthers ahead 8-2. Tyson injured his ankle on the jumper, and was forced to leave the game mid-way through the first period.
The Falcons rallied back in the final moments of the opening quarter, cutting Cabot’s lead to 13-8.
The second period was a defensive struggle, as a three pointer from Quinn Cooper for NP was the only points scored for either team in the first five-and-a- half minutes of the quarter.
A pair of free throws by Tony Glass tied things up at 13 all, but Cabot would finally get on the board in the second period with two straight jumpers from Sharpe.
The Panthers were poised to take a six-point lead into the locker room, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from Rainey cut the lead to 19-16 Cabot at the half.
Cabot extended its lead in the third period, taking advantage of North Pulaski turnovers.
The Panthers held NP to only four points in the quarter, and allowed even fewer rebounds.
By the end of the third, Cabot had increased its advantage to 13, leading the Falcons 33-20 going into the final quarter.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth period, as Sharpe capped off the game with a dunk in the final minute for a final score of 45-28.
Cabot moves on to round two of the winners bracket today when they face Hot Springs at 8:30. North Pulaski will face Sylvan Hills in the losers bracket game today at 5:30.
“I think they are similar to what we just played tonight,” Bridges said of Hot Springs, “They have three good guards who can shoot. It’s going to be a battle.”
Leader sports writer
A solid team performance in the second half propelled the Cabot Panthers to a 45-28 win over North Pulaski in the opening round of the Ortho Arkansas Invitational basketball tournament at CAC on Monday night.
The Falcons kept it close through the first half, trailing by three points at the intermission.
Cabot took advantage of NP turnovers early in the third period to extend their lead into double digits. North Pulaski was not able to overcome that deficit for the remainder of the game, and the Panthers took the first-round win.
Cabot head coach Jerry Bridges was proud of the all around performance from his team.
“I thought in the first half, we got a little impatient,” Bridges said. “We are a better team when everybody touches the ball and gets involved. In the second half, we did a good job of that. We just got to doing what we do best.”
Alex Sharpe led Cabot with 12 points and six rebounds. Rodric Rainey led North Pulaski in scoring with seven points, while NP post player Mike Anorue led all rebounders with seven on the night.
Cabot got out to the early lead with some quick scoring from Michael Tyson. Tyson hit a pair of free throws and moments later took it in the paint for two more to put the Panthers ahead 8-2. Tyson injured his ankle on the jumper, and was forced to leave the game mid-way through the first period.
The Falcons rallied back in the final moments of the opening quarter, cutting Cabot’s lead to 13-8.
The second period was a defensive struggle, as a three pointer from Quinn Cooper for NP was the only points scored for either team in the first five-and-a- half minutes of the quarter.
A pair of free throws by Tony Glass tied things up at 13 all, but Cabot would finally get on the board in the second period with two straight jumpers from Sharpe.
The Panthers were poised to take a six-point lead into the locker room, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from Rainey cut the lead to 19-16 Cabot at the half.
Cabot extended its lead in the third period, taking advantage of North Pulaski turnovers.
The Panthers held NP to only four points in the quarter, and allowed even fewer rebounds.
By the end of the third, Cabot had increased its advantage to 13, leading the Falcons 33-20 going into the final quarter.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth period, as Sharpe capped off the game with a dunk in the final minute for a final score of 45-28.
Cabot moves on to round two of the winners bracket today when they face Hot Springs at 8:30. North Pulaski will face Sylvan Hills in the losers bracket game today at 5:30.
“I think they are similar to what we just played tonight,” Bridges said of Hot Springs, “They have three good guards who can shoot. It’s going to be a battle.”
NEIGHBORS >> JHS cleanup
Jacksonivlle High School cleanup
The Devil Dustin Dirt Bustin Jacksonville High School Cleanup Day on Nov. 19 was organized by Debbie Skidmore and Patricia White and involved approximately 50 students, parents and faculty. The group helped clean the rock gardens, paint picnic tables and doors, pressure-wash walls at the north end and inside walls on the lower level entrance, pick up trash around the building, rake leaves, dig up bushes and clean plastic ficus plants. The cleanup started at 8:30 a.m. and ended around noon. Pizzas were donated by Pizza Pro and drinks by Pepsi. Above (left to right) Anthony Horswell, Brad Guthrey, Justin Myers, Michael Cox, Nathan Bacher, and James McMaster from the JHS Autoshop Club paint picnic tables.
Left, Cecil Moore uses a blower to clean the pine needles off the parking lot while students bag them up.
The Devil Dustin Dirt Bustin Jacksonville High School Cleanup Day on Nov. 19 was organized by Debbie Skidmore and Patricia White and involved approximately 50 students, parents and faculty. The group helped clean the rock gardens, paint picnic tables and doors, pressure-wash walls at the north end and inside walls on the lower level entrance, pick up trash around the building, rake leaves, dig up bushes and clean plastic ficus plants. The cleanup started at 8:30 a.m. and ended around noon. Pizzas were donated by Pizza Pro and drinks by Pepsi. Above (left to right) Anthony Horswell, Brad Guthrey, Justin Myers, Michael Cox, Nathan Bacher, and James McMaster from the JHS Autoshop Club paint picnic tables.
Left, Cecil Moore uses a blower to clean the pine needles off the parking lot while students bag them up.
FROM THE PUBLISHER >> How you can make big bucks at home
Does Arkansas need two people to head the state’s emergency management agency?
Right now we have Wayne Ruthven, the outgoing head of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, still collecting $6,600 a month while he supposedly works out of his home till the end of the year, and John Brackin, the interim chief, making about the same amount of money.
Talk about fleecing the taxpayers: That’s a lot of bucks for not a lot of emergency management, if you ask us — about $3,500 a week for two fellows with not much to do. Because whenever there’s an emergency, like the time hurricane refugees streamed into Arkansas, the governor takes center stage and pretty much runs the show.
Why not give the governor a small raise and eliminate the $79,000 a year emergency management post?
Col. Ruthven was pretty much absent when people fleeing hurricanes Katrina and Rita came to Arkansas, looking for food, shelter, clothes and jobs — and Mike Huckabee was all over the place, welcoming the refugees, but Ruthven, much like Michael Brown, the disgraced former FEMA director, was nowhere to be seen, which may explain why the retired colonel is on the way out.
When you have a hands-on governor like Mike Huckabee, who needs a director of emergency services? Who needs an interim director?
I’m all for saving the taxpayers their hard-earned dollars, especially when it comes to duplication like one director working alone at home and an interim director also collecting a hefty paycheck. Give the money back to the taxpayers or give it to the hurricane refugees.
Ruthven has done well on the public payroll. When he was hired as Jacksonville police chief in 2002, he was paid very well here, too, although he lacked the credentials for the job and held the post for just 18 months till the emergency management position opened up for him.
It appeared he’d stay there for a long time — he was said to be a favorite of Mrs. Huckabee’s — but, like FEMA’s Brownie, Ruthven’s future was not in emergency management after all, at least not at the state level.
Ruthven, who lives in North Little Rock, says he still checks in with his office in Conway via e-mail.
“I still have full connectivity with the office,” Ruthven insists.
Not only that, but the former Jacksonville police chief will represent Arkansas at several emergency conferences, at state expense.
Not surprisingly, state legislators want to know what Ruthven could be doing at home that’s so important that he can collect more than $1,600 a week from the state.
But it sure beats stuffing envelopes at home.
Right now we have Wayne Ruthven, the outgoing head of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, still collecting $6,600 a month while he supposedly works out of his home till the end of the year, and John Brackin, the interim chief, making about the same amount of money.
Talk about fleecing the taxpayers: That’s a lot of bucks for not a lot of emergency management, if you ask us — about $3,500 a week for two fellows with not much to do. Because whenever there’s an emergency, like the time hurricane refugees streamed into Arkansas, the governor takes center stage and pretty much runs the show.
Why not give the governor a small raise and eliminate the $79,000 a year emergency management post?
Col. Ruthven was pretty much absent when people fleeing hurricanes Katrina and Rita came to Arkansas, looking for food, shelter, clothes and jobs — and Mike Huckabee was all over the place, welcoming the refugees, but Ruthven, much like Michael Brown, the disgraced former FEMA director, was nowhere to be seen, which may explain why the retired colonel is on the way out.
When you have a hands-on governor like Mike Huckabee, who needs a director of emergency services? Who needs an interim director?
I’m all for saving the taxpayers their hard-earned dollars, especially when it comes to duplication like one director working alone at home and an interim director also collecting a hefty paycheck. Give the money back to the taxpayers or give it to the hurricane refugees.
Ruthven has done well on the public payroll. When he was hired as Jacksonville police chief in 2002, he was paid very well here, too, although he lacked the credentials for the job and held the post for just 18 months till the emergency management position opened up for him.
It appeared he’d stay there for a long time — he was said to be a favorite of Mrs. Huckabee’s — but, like FEMA’s Brownie, Ruthven’s future was not in emergency management after all, at least not at the state level.
Ruthven, who lives in North Little Rock, says he still checks in with his office in Conway via e-mail.
“I still have full connectivity with the office,” Ruthven insists.
Not only that, but the former Jacksonville police chief will represent Arkansas at several emergency conferences, at state expense.
Not surprisingly, state legislators want to know what Ruthven could be doing at home that’s so important that he can collect more than $1,600 a week from the state.
But it sure beats stuffing envelopes at home.
TOP STORY >> Base pleased with funding
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
A pair of new projects next year are aimed at helping improve the working and non-working environment at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The base will be receiving $6.4 million next year for an improved dining facility to replace the existing facility, which is aged and undersized. The new dining facility will also house a community center mailroom.
The base will also get $2.5 million to add an additional runway to the All-American Landing Zone at Camp Robinson.
“We land C-130s at Camp Robinson to give pilots practice for landing on unimproved landing areas,” said Lt. Jon Quinlan, chief of media relations for the 314th Airlift Wing.
“With cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, we have 100 percent of the taxiway design completed.
“We anticipate that after the contract is awarded, we’ll begin construction in early summer of 2006,” Quinlan said.
Construction for the new dining facility, to be located near the dorms, is expected to begin in the fall of 2006.
“We are committed to providing quality facilities for our airmen to live, work and play in,” Quinlan said.
The money for the projects is part of the 2006 Military Con-struction Bill passed by Congress.
The two projects for the air base are part of $20.5 million for Ark-ansas defense projects.
Of that, $5.6 million was designated for construction of the Regional Institute Training Com-plex at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock.
The National Guard Armory in Searcy is set to receive $186,000 for planning and design for the Combined Support Maintenance Shop, and the Veterans Medical Center in Fayetteville is to get $5.8 million to begin construction on an addition to the facility.
Leader staff writer
A pair of new projects next year are aimed at helping improve the working and non-working environment at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The base will be receiving $6.4 million next year for an improved dining facility to replace the existing facility, which is aged and undersized. The new dining facility will also house a community center mailroom.
The base will also get $2.5 million to add an additional runway to the All-American Landing Zone at Camp Robinson.
“We land C-130s at Camp Robinson to give pilots practice for landing on unimproved landing areas,” said Lt. Jon Quinlan, chief of media relations for the 314th Airlift Wing.
“With cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, we have 100 percent of the taxiway design completed.
“We anticipate that after the contract is awarded, we’ll begin construction in early summer of 2006,” Quinlan said.
Construction for the new dining facility, to be located near the dorms, is expected to begin in the fall of 2006.
“We are committed to providing quality facilities for our airmen to live, work and play in,” Quinlan said.
The money for the projects is part of the 2006 Military Con-struction Bill passed by Congress.
The two projects for the air base are part of $20.5 million for Ark-ansas defense projects.
Of that, $5.6 million was designated for construction of the Regional Institute Training Com-plex at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock.
The National Guard Armory in Searcy is set to receive $186,000 for planning and design for the Combined Support Maintenance Shop, and the Veterans Medical Center in Fayetteville is to get $5.8 million to begin construction on an addition to the facility.
TOP STORY >> Lawyers to appeal loss of suit
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Consumer activist Todd Turner will appeal to the state Supreme Court Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ ruling Friday in favor of payday lenders, their so-called regulators and the law exempting their transactions from Arkansas’ usury laws, he vowed Monday.
Turner, the Arkadelphia lawyer with a reputation for suing payday lenders and check cashers on behalf of consumers, said he would appeal Sims’ decision within the allotted 30 days of its filing. He said the ruling had not yet been filed.
The state was a defendant in this action and was represented by Thomas Thrash of the attorney general’s office. John Hardin represented the payday lenders.
To the consternation of Turner and others out to undo the check cashers, Sims ruled that the Check Cashers Act of 1999 was constitutional.
“I wish I could have raised my hand and said, ‘Judge I don’t understand how 400 percent a year interest can be less than 17 percent a year. It ought to be unconstitutional,” said Hank Klein, an activist against payday lending and retired CEO of the Arkansas Federal Credit Union.
“The law is a funny thing sometimes,” he added.
“I’m disappointed in one way,” Klein said, “but happy that he made a decision and things can move on.
“We recognized that from the get-go, ultimately the Supreme Court will make a decision if the law is constitutional or not.”
“We think the issue is a legal one,” Turner said, “real simple, whether the general assembly can say these transactions aren’t really loans. Our position is (that) the state ought not be in the business of giving licenses to companies making usurious loans.
“We have a statute that says if you write a two-party check, hold it for two weeks and charge a fee that (fee) is not interest.”
Consumer groups charge that the payday lenders, who typically lend $300 for two weeks and collect $350 back, are charging interest rates equivalent to hundreds of percent on an annual basis.
The payday lenders and check cashers say they are the only ones who will lend small sums of money for a short period of time to consumers needing money for food or to fix a tire on their car or other emergencies.
The state’s usury law prohibits charging more than 17 percent, but Klein says these loans are “at least 25 times higher.”
“They charge astronomical interest rates people can’t afford to pay,” according to Klein.
They then end up in a debt cycle.
“This is legalized loan sharking,” he said.
Leader staff writer
Consumer activist Todd Turner will appeal to the state Supreme Court Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ ruling Friday in favor of payday lenders, their so-called regulators and the law exempting their transactions from Arkansas’ usury laws, he vowed Monday.
Turner, the Arkadelphia lawyer with a reputation for suing payday lenders and check cashers on behalf of consumers, said he would appeal Sims’ decision within the allotted 30 days of its filing. He said the ruling had not yet been filed.
The state was a defendant in this action and was represented by Thomas Thrash of the attorney general’s office. John Hardin represented the payday lenders.
To the consternation of Turner and others out to undo the check cashers, Sims ruled that the Check Cashers Act of 1999 was constitutional.
“I wish I could have raised my hand and said, ‘Judge I don’t understand how 400 percent a year interest can be less than 17 percent a year. It ought to be unconstitutional,” said Hank Klein, an activist against payday lending and retired CEO of the Arkansas Federal Credit Union.
“The law is a funny thing sometimes,” he added.
“I’m disappointed in one way,” Klein said, “but happy that he made a decision and things can move on.
“We recognized that from the get-go, ultimately the Supreme Court will make a decision if the law is constitutional or not.”
“We think the issue is a legal one,” Turner said, “real simple, whether the general assembly can say these transactions aren’t really loans. Our position is (that) the state ought not be in the business of giving licenses to companies making usurious loans.
“We have a statute that says if you write a two-party check, hold it for two weeks and charge a fee that (fee) is not interest.”
Consumer groups charge that the payday lenders, who typically lend $300 for two weeks and collect $350 back, are charging interest rates equivalent to hundreds of percent on an annual basis.
The payday lenders and check cashers say they are the only ones who will lend small sums of money for a short period of time to consumers needing money for food or to fix a tire on their car or other emergencies.
The state’s usury law prohibits charging more than 17 percent, but Klein says these loans are “at least 25 times higher.”
“They charge astronomical interest rates people can’t afford to pay,” according to Klein.
They then end up in a debt cycle.
“This is legalized loan sharking,” he said.
TOP STORY >> Raises proposed in Beebe
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Beebe Mayor Donald Ward presented a $2.7 million budget to the city council Monday night that contains the first pay raise for city employees in three years.
Ward is asking the city council to give employees a 5 percent raise at a cost to the city of about $47,000.
At the urging of Alderman Ron-nie Dean, the council agreed to meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12, to discuss the budget, which by state law must be passed by Feb. 1.
The projected revenue does not include anything from water and sewer, which is run by a commission and is completely separate from the city. It does include more than $500,000 in a savings account that has been set aside for emergencies. Ward said during a break in the meeting that he is opposed to spending the money for city projects when it could possibly be needed for salaries if expenses increased unexpectedly.
Projected revenue for the general fund which supports the mayor’s office, parks, fire, police and the city cemetery is $1.6 million. The major income sources are county property tax, $41,000; county sales and use tax, $556,200; state turnback, $80,800; city sales and use tax $651,990, and franchise tax, $187,100.
The city also is estimated to receive $275,800 next year from the state as turnback from the gasoline tax that is collected, but that money may only be used by the street department.
The budget for the police department is the largest in the city. Revenue from fines and other sources is estimated at $36,960 while expenditures are estimated at $722,895.
Of that amount, $18,450 would pay the lease on four new patrol cars.
Ward told the council that the maintenance on the old cars about equaled the lease on new ones.
The parks department also consumes much more than it generates.
The projected revenue from such sources as concessions, gate fees and registration fees is $79,700.
The projected cost of running the department next year is $219,730.
Beebe’s fire department is currently run by volunteers except for the paid part-time fire chief. But the department is still a big expense to the city which pays insurance for all the firefighters and buys and maintains the equipment.
The projected revenue for the department from membership fees and other sources is $17,700 while the estimated cost of running the department in 2006 is $185,970.
Leader staff writer
Beebe Mayor Donald Ward presented a $2.7 million budget to the city council Monday night that contains the first pay raise for city employees in three years.
Ward is asking the city council to give employees a 5 percent raise at a cost to the city of about $47,000.
At the urging of Alderman Ron-nie Dean, the council agreed to meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12, to discuss the budget, which by state law must be passed by Feb. 1.
The projected revenue does not include anything from water and sewer, which is run by a commission and is completely separate from the city. It does include more than $500,000 in a savings account that has been set aside for emergencies. Ward said during a break in the meeting that he is opposed to spending the money for city projects when it could possibly be needed for salaries if expenses increased unexpectedly.
Projected revenue for the general fund which supports the mayor’s office, parks, fire, police and the city cemetery is $1.6 million. The major income sources are county property tax, $41,000; county sales and use tax, $556,200; state turnback, $80,800; city sales and use tax $651,990, and franchise tax, $187,100.
The city also is estimated to receive $275,800 next year from the state as turnback from the gasoline tax that is collected, but that money may only be used by the street department.
The budget for the police department is the largest in the city. Revenue from fines and other sources is estimated at $36,960 while expenditures are estimated at $722,895.
Of that amount, $18,450 would pay the lease on four new patrol cars.
Ward told the council that the maintenance on the old cars about equaled the lease on new ones.
The parks department also consumes much more than it generates.
The projected revenue from such sources as concessions, gate fees and registration fees is $79,700.
The projected cost of running the department next year is $219,730.
Beebe’s fire department is currently run by volunteers except for the paid part-time fire chief. But the department is still a big expense to the city which pays insurance for all the firefighters and buys and maintains the equipment.
The projected revenue for the department from membership fees and other sources is $17,700 while the estimated cost of running the department in 2006 is $185,970.
TOP STORY >> Sherwood is keeping close eye on PCSSD
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Saying “Something’s fixin’ to happen in the Pulaski County Special School District,” Sherwood Mayor Bill Harmon Monday evening appointed a task force to monitor the complex situation in which the troubled district finds itself.
Moments earlier, the city council unanimously approved a $16.2 million, 2006 general-fund budget and a $1.6 million street-fund budget, both of them similar to the city’s 2005 budgets.
Harmon told the aldermen that the state was studying “busting up” the school district — a study funded at the urging of state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville.
Bond put special language in the State Education Depart-ment’s 2006 budget, requiring the study and earmarking $250,000 for it.
The study would help determine the feasibility of restructuring the existing three public-school districts in Pulaski County. Public-school students in Sherwood attend PCSSD schools.
Sherwood, like Jacksonville, north Pulaski County and portions of the county south and west, all are in the Pulaski County Special School District.
The study will consider the feasibility of two districts in Pulaski County — one north of the Arkansas River, the other south and also the feasibility of one district south of the river, plus a Jacksonville district and another north-of-the-river district.
Harmon appointed two councilmen — Becki Vassar and Sherry Sulcer — to his task force, along with former PCSSD board member Eugene Manfredini and businessman Tom Reynolds. He asked them to work with Ronnie Calva, who represents Sherwood on the PCSSD board.
“Keep us informed,” the mayor charged them.
Jacksonville residents have worked — unsuccessfully so far — to get their own school district and Calva said he’d like to see Sherwood break off and form its own district as well.
In Sherwood’s 2006 budget, projected revenues are about $750,000 higher than estimates a year ago with city sales tax and county sales tax projections accounting for the lion’s share of the increase.
The city has budgeted $541,830 for the city’s share of the project to four-lane part of Brockington Road in 2006. Harmon said the project is ready to be bid as soon as the state Highway Department “turns loose its money.”
“We’re ready to move and our plans are approved,” he said.
Phase one of that project is expected to cost about $3 million.
The entire Brockington Road project, four-laning from Kiehl Avenue to Hwy. 107, could cost $7 million. The city also has budgeted another $400,000 for other roadwork.
Leader staff writer
Saying “Something’s fixin’ to happen in the Pulaski County Special School District,” Sherwood Mayor Bill Harmon Monday evening appointed a task force to monitor the complex situation in which the troubled district finds itself.
Moments earlier, the city council unanimously approved a $16.2 million, 2006 general-fund budget and a $1.6 million street-fund budget, both of them similar to the city’s 2005 budgets.
Harmon told the aldermen that the state was studying “busting up” the school district — a study funded at the urging of state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville.
Bond put special language in the State Education Depart-ment’s 2006 budget, requiring the study and earmarking $250,000 for it.
The study would help determine the feasibility of restructuring the existing three public-school districts in Pulaski County. Public-school students in Sherwood attend PCSSD schools.
Sherwood, like Jacksonville, north Pulaski County and portions of the county south and west, all are in the Pulaski County Special School District.
The study will consider the feasibility of two districts in Pulaski County — one north of the Arkansas River, the other south and also the feasibility of one district south of the river, plus a Jacksonville district and another north-of-the-river district.
Harmon appointed two councilmen — Becki Vassar and Sherry Sulcer — to his task force, along with former PCSSD board member Eugene Manfredini and businessman Tom Reynolds. He asked them to work with Ronnie Calva, who represents Sherwood on the PCSSD board.
“Keep us informed,” the mayor charged them.
Jacksonville residents have worked — unsuccessfully so far — to get their own school district and Calva said he’d like to see Sherwood break off and form its own district as well.
In Sherwood’s 2006 budget, projected revenues are about $750,000 higher than estimates a year ago with city sales tax and county sales tax projections accounting for the lion’s share of the increase.
The city has budgeted $541,830 for the city’s share of the project to four-lane part of Brockington Road in 2006. Harmon said the project is ready to be bid as soon as the state Highway Department “turns loose its money.”
“We’re ready to move and our plans are approved,” he said.
Phase one of that project is expected to cost about $3 million.
The entire Brockington Road project, four-laning from Kiehl Avenue to Hwy. 107, could cost $7 million. The city also has budgeted another $400,000 for other roadwork.
TOP STORY >> Berry insists he’ll run
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Cong. Marion Berry, D-Gillette, who was in Cabot on Monday at the request of the Arlene Cherry Memorial Library, said he has heard rumors that he is not running again for the First District seat he has held for nine years, and those rumors are false, he insists.
“I know there’s people telling that, but it’s not so,” Berry said. “There’s probably some who wish I wasn’t running, but I’m actually more energetic and enthusiastic about it than I was last year.”
It’s been almost a year since doctors at UAMS in Little Rock identified four degenerated vertebrae as the source of the debilitating pain in Berry’s neck. Since the operation in January to correct the problem, the congressman says his life is back to normal and he is excited about representing the people who live in his district.
“There are just so many things going on that I want to see finished,” he said.
But Berry would not comment on the two Republicans from Cabot who want to take his seat next November – Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh and Patrick D’Andrea, who will face off in the primary next year.
“I don’t ever talk about my opponents,” he said.
Instead, he talked about the work in progress that he has been a part of: major highway projects, an airport at Stuttgart capable of handling small jets and an anticipated truck-manufacturing plant at Wynne that will help revitalize the economy in the Delta.
“We’ve got a lot of good things happening, and I want to stick around and see them happen,” said Berry, who is seeking a fifth term.
His appearance in Cabot was to acknowledge a grant of books the library had received from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “We the People Project,” which sponsors the bookshelf program.
The 30 or so books the library received all contain some element of this year’s theme – freedom.
Berry perused the titles, commenting that “Animal Farm” by George Orwell was a classic and that C. S. Lewis, author of “The Complete Chronicles of Narnia” isn’t someone he usually associates with children’s literature.
Dixie Lewis, children’s librarian, said before Berry arrived that the congressman was not responsible for the grant.
“This was a grant from the national government, so we asked him to come by and celebrate this gift,” she said.
Berry posed for pictures in front of the new collection and reminisced about the first library he had ever visited.
“It wasn’t any bigger than that rack right there,” he said, pointing to a rack containing about 20 books. Berry grew up in the country near DeWitt where textbooks were scarce and libraries were almost non-existent, he said.
Now, he says he can’t imagine a morning without a newspaper or a life without books.
Leader staff writer
Cong. Marion Berry, D-Gillette, who was in Cabot on Monday at the request of the Arlene Cherry Memorial Library, said he has heard rumors that he is not running again for the First District seat he has held for nine years, and those rumors are false, he insists.
“I know there’s people telling that, but it’s not so,” Berry said. “There’s probably some who wish I wasn’t running, but I’m actually more energetic and enthusiastic about it than I was last year.”
It’s been almost a year since doctors at UAMS in Little Rock identified four degenerated vertebrae as the source of the debilitating pain in Berry’s neck. Since the operation in January to correct the problem, the congressman says his life is back to normal and he is excited about representing the people who live in his district.
“There are just so many things going on that I want to see finished,” he said.
But Berry would not comment on the two Republicans from Cabot who want to take his seat next November – Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh and Patrick D’Andrea, who will face off in the primary next year.
“I don’t ever talk about my opponents,” he said.
Instead, he talked about the work in progress that he has been a part of: major highway projects, an airport at Stuttgart capable of handling small jets and an anticipated truck-manufacturing plant at Wynne that will help revitalize the economy in the Delta.
“We’ve got a lot of good things happening, and I want to stick around and see them happen,” said Berry, who is seeking a fifth term.
His appearance in Cabot was to acknowledge a grant of books the library had received from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “We the People Project,” which sponsors the bookshelf program.
The 30 or so books the library received all contain some element of this year’s theme – freedom.
Berry perused the titles, commenting that “Animal Farm” by George Orwell was a classic and that C. S. Lewis, author of “The Complete Chronicles of Narnia” isn’t someone he usually associates with children’s literature.
Dixie Lewis, children’s librarian, said before Berry arrived that the congressman was not responsible for the grant.
“This was a grant from the national government, so we asked him to come by and celebrate this gift,” she said.
Berry posed for pictures in front of the new collection and reminisced about the first library he had ever visited.
“It wasn’t any bigger than that rack right there,” he said, pointing to a rack containing about 20 books. Berry grew up in the country near DeWitt where textbooks were scarce and libraries were almost non-existent, he said.
Now, he says he can’t imagine a morning without a newspaper or a life without books.
Friday, November 25, 2005
TOP STORY >> Polantz to run for mayor
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Cabot Alderman David Polantz is in his fifth term on the city council. Now, he says he wants to be mayor.
Polantz has been among those known for months to be considering running, but he would never say how serious that consideration was, only that he was praying about it.
He made his announcement quietly to news reporters following Monday night’s city council meeting.
“I am going to run,” he said.
Polantz said in a phone interview Tuesday that he has not developed any sort of platform, but if elected mayor he would continue the work he has been doing for nine years.
“I want to continue to work on quality-of-life issues,” he said. “This is home to me, and I want to work with everyone to ensure it is the best it can be.”
When he was first elected, Polantz worked to get a federal grant for about $500,000 to build sidewalks in Cabot and he has continued to stand firm on waiving sidewalks in new developments. He says that no matter how remote a development seems when it is started, all of Cabot will eventually be covered in houses or businesses and people need to be able to walk to them without getting in the street.
“The goal here is to provide people with a way to move about without cars,” he said.
In recent years, Polantz has sponsored much of the legislation that has gone before the city council. Much of it he says was about “Trying to maintain a system where everybody is treated with equity regardless of who they are or how much they have.”
He said he is proud of the impact fee on building that could be ready for the council to act on before the end of the year.
“The impact fee will be a major shifting of the cost of infrastructure from the people who live here to the people moving in and creating the demand,” he said.
The resolution calling for an impact fee rankled bankers, builders and developers who said they should have input into imposing the fee since they were the ones who would pay it. The mayor and council eventually conceded that they were right and included them in discussions.
Polantz counts the new improved Cabot budget as among his best efforts.
“I’m very proud of getting the budget into a readable form so people can understand where the money is going,” he said.
Polantz says he doesn’t have a campaign manager yet and he doesn’t anticipate holding any fund-raisers until early in 2006.
“People need to spend time with their families now,” he said. “That’s what the holidays are all about. We’ll fire all that up after the first of the year.”
Leader staff writer
Cabot Alderman David Polantz is in his fifth term on the city council. Now, he says he wants to be mayor.
Polantz has been among those known for months to be considering running, but he would never say how serious that consideration was, only that he was praying about it.
He made his announcement quietly to news reporters following Monday night’s city council meeting.
“I am going to run,” he said.
Polantz said in a phone interview Tuesday that he has not developed any sort of platform, but if elected mayor he would continue the work he has been doing for nine years.
“I want to continue to work on quality-of-life issues,” he said. “This is home to me, and I want to work with everyone to ensure it is the best it can be.”
When he was first elected, Polantz worked to get a federal grant for about $500,000 to build sidewalks in Cabot and he has continued to stand firm on waiving sidewalks in new developments. He says that no matter how remote a development seems when it is started, all of Cabot will eventually be covered in houses or businesses and people need to be able to walk to them without getting in the street.
“The goal here is to provide people with a way to move about without cars,” he said.
In recent years, Polantz has sponsored much of the legislation that has gone before the city council. Much of it he says was about “Trying to maintain a system where everybody is treated with equity regardless of who they are or how much they have.”
He said he is proud of the impact fee on building that could be ready for the council to act on before the end of the year.
“The impact fee will be a major shifting of the cost of infrastructure from the people who live here to the people moving in and creating the demand,” he said.
The resolution calling for an impact fee rankled bankers, builders and developers who said they should have input into imposing the fee since they were the ones who would pay it. The mayor and council eventually conceded that they were right and included them in discussions.
Polantz counts the new improved Cabot budget as among his best efforts.
“I’m very proud of getting the budget into a readable form so people can understand where the money is going,” he said.
Polantz says he doesn’t have a campaign manager yet and he doesn’t anticipate holding any fund-raisers until early in 2006.
“People need to spend time with their families now,” he said. “That’s what the holidays are all about. We’ll fire all that up after the first of the year.”
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
EDITORIAL >> Highway scare tactics
Lots of legislators have needed reassuring since learning that the highway bond law they enacted last spring asks voters to surrender their voice on future highway debt, so Gov. Huckabee and the state Highway and Transportation Department applied the balm this week.
Here is their argument for giving the Highway Commission eternal authority to keep a debt of up to $575 million without getting approval of voters each time it borrows: It will save the taxpayers the cost of special elections in the future, and if the Highway Commission cannot issue any more bonds it will not be able to improve primary and secondary highways out around the state.
Both are ridiculous arguments, immediately refutable, but it takes very little to persuade a gullible lawmaker.
Gov. Huckabee has been deploring the cost of special statewide elections - the one he is calling for Dec. 13 will cost you right at $1 million - and he says voters will be saving themselves and their heirs more such costs if they vote to surrender their right to vote on future debt propositions for the Interstate highways. Highway officials offered the same argument to legislators at the Capitol.
That seemed to reassure several lawmakers.
But the taxpayers need not pay a single dime to vote on bonds, even on the current proposition. They could submit the issue to voters at the general election next November, or November 2008 or November 2010. There is, after all, no rush about voting. The Highway Commission does not plan to issue the bonds until 2010 at the earliest and perhaps much later.
The money that will be pledged to pay off the proposed bonds is tied up for the next few years to pay off the existing Interstate bonds.
They do not want bond votes held at the general election because three or four times as many people will vote at a general election. Special elections attract voters with a vested interest.
Everyone should ignore the argument that the bond proposal will economize with taxpayers’ money. Exactly the opposite is true.
If Huckabee were genuinely concerned about election expenses, he would save taxpayers a million dollars by putting his proposals on the 2006 ballot. It apparently never occurred to a legislator to call the highway men’s hand.
And the cost of future special elections is the strongest of their arguments.
Since all of the $575 million that the Highway Commission wants to borrow when it pays down the current debt would be spent on the remaining Interstate mileage that has not been improved, there is no incentive for people far off the Interstates to vote for the proposition and some incentive to vote no.
So highway officials told legislators Tuesday that if voters do not approve future indebtedness for the Interstates everyone’s highway improvements back home, from Lake Village to Salem to Jacksonville to Cabot to Beebe, will be in jeopardy.
That is because the motor fuel taxes and car and truck license fees that are now used to build and maintain primary and secondary highways supposedly will have to be diverted to pay for repairs to the big interstates, delaying the North Belt completion even further, as if it hasn’t been delayed long enough.
Rep. Randy Rankin of Eudora said that did it for him. He wanted the widening of U.S. Highway 65 through his county completed, so he was voting for the Interstate debt, even though the nearest Interstate mileage was more than 100 miles away.
No one needed even a hand-held calculator to figure out the ruse. The Interstate bonds will tie up the state’s allotment of federal Interstate maintenance funds each year plus the receipts from a 4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax. Together, they make up $75 million a year. Without issuing the bonds, the Highway Commission could still spend that $75 million to improve the Interstates each year, which ought to be more than ample. Of course, the Highway Commission could, if it chose, take the $15 million a year from the diesel tax and apply it to primary and secondary roads to supplement other highway taxes.
Over the 12, 15 or 20 years that the Highway Commission would be paying off the debt, the state could spend more on the highways by spending less on interest to investors and fees to underwriters, brokers and bond lawyers. You can take a mortgage payout schedule and figure it out for yourself. Debt is costly. The only time you borrow huge sums of money is when there is an emergency or the task is so huge that you can’t pay for it as you go.
So Rep. Rankin and his constituents stand a much better chance of getting a wider Highway 65 through the Delta if the bonds are defeated.
Besides, with any deference from his region’s highway commissioner, his project should be completed long before the commission gets around to actually using the new borrowing power that voters may be about to give them.
Here is their argument for giving the Highway Commission eternal authority to keep a debt of up to $575 million without getting approval of voters each time it borrows: It will save the taxpayers the cost of special elections in the future, and if the Highway Commission cannot issue any more bonds it will not be able to improve primary and secondary highways out around the state.
Both are ridiculous arguments, immediately refutable, but it takes very little to persuade a gullible lawmaker.
Gov. Huckabee has been deploring the cost of special statewide elections - the one he is calling for Dec. 13 will cost you right at $1 million - and he says voters will be saving themselves and their heirs more such costs if they vote to surrender their right to vote on future debt propositions for the Interstate highways. Highway officials offered the same argument to legislators at the Capitol.
That seemed to reassure several lawmakers.
But the taxpayers need not pay a single dime to vote on bonds, even on the current proposition. They could submit the issue to voters at the general election next November, or November 2008 or November 2010. There is, after all, no rush about voting. The Highway Commission does not plan to issue the bonds until 2010 at the earliest and perhaps much later.
The money that will be pledged to pay off the proposed bonds is tied up for the next few years to pay off the existing Interstate bonds.
They do not want bond votes held at the general election because three or four times as many people will vote at a general election. Special elections attract voters with a vested interest.
Everyone should ignore the argument that the bond proposal will economize with taxpayers’ money. Exactly the opposite is true.
If Huckabee were genuinely concerned about election expenses, he would save taxpayers a million dollars by putting his proposals on the 2006 ballot. It apparently never occurred to a legislator to call the highway men’s hand.
And the cost of future special elections is the strongest of their arguments.
Since all of the $575 million that the Highway Commission wants to borrow when it pays down the current debt would be spent on the remaining Interstate mileage that has not been improved, there is no incentive for people far off the Interstates to vote for the proposition and some incentive to vote no.
So highway officials told legislators Tuesday that if voters do not approve future indebtedness for the Interstates everyone’s highway improvements back home, from Lake Village to Salem to Jacksonville to Cabot to Beebe, will be in jeopardy.
That is because the motor fuel taxes and car and truck license fees that are now used to build and maintain primary and secondary highways supposedly will have to be diverted to pay for repairs to the big interstates, delaying the North Belt completion even further, as if it hasn’t been delayed long enough.
Rep. Randy Rankin of Eudora said that did it for him. He wanted the widening of U.S. Highway 65 through his county completed, so he was voting for the Interstate debt, even though the nearest Interstate mileage was more than 100 miles away.
No one needed even a hand-held calculator to figure out the ruse. The Interstate bonds will tie up the state’s allotment of federal Interstate maintenance funds each year plus the receipts from a 4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax. Together, they make up $75 million a year. Without issuing the bonds, the Highway Commission could still spend that $75 million to improve the Interstates each year, which ought to be more than ample. Of course, the Highway Commission could, if it chose, take the $15 million a year from the diesel tax and apply it to primary and secondary roads to supplement other highway taxes.
Over the 12, 15 or 20 years that the Highway Commission would be paying off the debt, the state could spend more on the highways by spending less on interest to investors and fees to underwriters, brokers and bond lawyers. You can take a mortgage payout schedule and figure it out for yourself. Debt is costly. The only time you borrow huge sums of money is when there is an emergency or the task is so huge that you can’t pay for it as you go.
So Rep. Rankin and his constituents stand a much better chance of getting a wider Highway 65 through the Delta if the bonds are defeated.
Besides, with any deference from his region’s highway commissioner, his project should be completed long before the commission gets around to actually using the new borrowing power that voters may be about to give them.
OBITUARIES
HENRY HEIGLE
It was with great sadness along with all our love that Henry Heigle joined our Lord on Nov. 17. He was born Sept. 29, 1930, in Tumbling Shoals, Ark., to a family of 12 children.
He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Betty Jean Heigle; three brothers, Alva, Orville and James; five sisters, Frances, Melba, Lois, Annie and Mary; three children, Deborah Anita Roe, Darlene Rochelle Wagner and Darin Henry Heigle; seven grandchildren, Dana, Dustin, Nicole, Kara, Joshua, Amanda and Jesse; four great-grandchildren: Miran-da, Reyna, Damien and Alicia. He was a veteran of the Korean War and retired from the Teamsters Union Local No. 357.
He spent his spare time with his family camping, water skiing, hiking, picnicking and being involved in any and all sports and activities they were participating in.
He was a devoted, loving and caring husband, father and grandfather.
Funeral services are to be held at Miller Jones Mortuary in Perris, Calif., on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. For any information regarding the services, please call (951) 943-8313.
"SALLY" HAWKINS
Ida Mae “Sally” Hawkins, 78, passed away Sunday morning, Nov. 20 at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.
Sally was born in Lonoke on April 14, 1927, to Richard and Ernie Mae Reiff. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 25 years, Jeff Thomason of Lonoke, her husband of 31 years, Orval K. Hawkins of Alpena, and four grandchildren.
Sally is survived by sons, Richard and wife Glenda Thomason of Springtown, Texas, Jeff and wife Mary Thomason, Jr. of Malvern and Kenneth and wife Nola Hawkins of Alpena; daughters, Charlotte and husband Burnis Horton of Cabot, Margo Wilson of Fort Worth, Texas, Doris and husband Ted Christian and Le Iva and husband Donald Klein of Alpena, Texas, Kathryn and husband Maynard Craff of East Alton, Ill., and Gayle and husband Dan Bedillian of Bedford, Texas. She also leaves behind eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren from her union with Mr. Thomason, 31 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren from her union with Mr. Hawkins, and many others who adopted her as their “Granny.”
She was small in stature but a giant in sharing love and laughter. Her precious smile stayed with her right up to the threshold of heaven and a strong faith in God carried her across. She was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
Services officiated by Brother Floyd Flowers will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Boyd Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Hebron Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Jason Coker, Greg Horton, Brad Thomason, Jerry Thomason, A.J. Womack and Andrew Womack. Arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home in Lonoke.
ERNEST HANSON
Ernest Gerald Hanson, 74, passed away Nov. 21 at his McRae home. He was born Dec. 24, 1930, in Oregon, Ill., to the late Ernest Otto and Anna E. Guenther Hanson. He was a retired carpenter, a member of the Moose Lodge, Rabbit Breeders Association of MO and a Lutheran.
He is survived by two sons, Ernest A. Hanson of McRae and Gerald E. Hanson of Rochelle, Ill.; grandchildren, Kristy McCall, Christopher Hanson, Angela Hanson, Pamela Hanson, Hans Hanson, Shane Hanson and Kordell Hanson; five great-grandchildren, Xavier McCall, Clayton McCall, Nadji Hanson, Sapora Hanson, and Armani Hanson; a sister, Arlene Lothson of Dekalb, IL. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Ann K Summerville.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Sunday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Visitation will be noon until 2 p.m., Sunday. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
WALLACE HOWARD
Wallace Howard, 64, of Jack-sonville, passed away Monday, Nov. 21. He was born Sept. 20, 1941 in Carlisle to Henry Andrew “Andy” and Delores Hester Howard. He was a U.S. Army veteran, a factory worker and a Baptist. Wallace was a hard-working man and enjoyed music at the Huddle House.
He is survived by his son, Wallace Eugene, Jr. and Lisa of Jacksonville; a grandson, Wallace Eugene III “Scooter” of Jackson-ville; two brothers and their wives, Claude and Carol Howard of Jacksonville, and George and Pat Howard of Russellville; a sister, Thelma Ainsworth and her husband Frank of Ward and other friends and loving family. He was preceded in death by a half-sister, Velma. Thanks to Holly McCloud at the V.A. for being there for him.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Friday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville, with Bro. Elton Balentine officiating. Interment follows at Butlerville Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home (501) 982-2136.
MARIE FARRAR
Marie Alice Farrar, 82, of Cabot, formerly of Auburn, N.Y., passed away on Nov. 20. She was born March 1, 1923, in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the late David and Kathryn Meehan.
She was a member of St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Jacksonville and the Senior Citizen’s in Cabot.
She was preceded in death by her husband William C. Farrar on Nov. 1, 1991.
Survivors include three daughters: Katie Nichols and husband Edwin of Cabot, Sharon Seymour and husband Larry of Auburn, N.Y., and Donna Leontovich of Concord, N. C.; one sister Kathryn Walker of Hemet, Calif.; six grandchildren: Christopher, Heather, Edwin Jr., Scott, Zachary and Stephanie; and two great-grandchildren: Alexis and Tyler David.
Memorial services to be announced at a later date. Cre-mation arrangements by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
DELLA DELAO
Della Jane Roper DeLao, 68, of Jacksonville, passed away Nov. 19. She was born Jan. 6, 1937, in Sikeston, Mo., to Shirley Bernece Norwood Roper and the late Ralph Dolan Roper. She was a 1954 graduate of Harding Academy in Searcy, and attended Capital City Business College. She had a 35-year civil service career retiring in 1993 as an executive secretary to the hospital commander at Little Rock Air Force Base and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include her two sons and their wives, Darryl and Teresa DeLao of Altus, Okla., and Kevin and Michelle DeLao of Tuscon, Ariz.; daughter, Gail Greene and husband Tony DeQueen; six grandchildren, Darryl Jr., Blake, Brittany and Chafen DeLao and Camille and Lee Greene. Funeral services were Tuesday at the Harris Chapel with Mr. Bruce Bryant officiating. Burial was at Robertsville Cemetery by Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton
Pallbearers were family and friends.
KARL EYER
Karl Douglas Eyer, 31, of Jacksonville, passed away Nov. 14. He was born April 12, 1974, at U.S. Camp Kui Army Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, to Olen and Elizabeth Eyer. Karl was a graduate of Jacksonville High School.
He is survived by his parents, Olen and Elizabeth Eyer; brother, Major Ryan M. Eyer, U.S. Marine Corp, several aunts, uncles and cousins from Illinois.
Private funeral services were conducted by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home 1504 Loop Rd, Jacksonville, Ark., with interment in Chapel Hill Memorial Park.
VARA SEATON
Vara S. Seaton, 89, of Batesville passed away Nov. 15. Born April 22, 1916, in Sylvania in Lonoke County, she lived there until moving to Batesville in 1997.
She was a lifelong member of Sylvania Presbyterian Church.
She served as elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, vacation bible school teacher, youth leader, Women of the Church president, Presbyterian Church Extension Committee chairman, and a home missions committee member. She was a Sunday school teacher for sixty years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Otha.
She is survived by one daughter, Darlene Seaton Byrd of Doniphin, Mo.; two sons, Eddie Seaton of Cabot and Carroll Seaton of Batesville; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside service was Saturday at Sylvania Cemetery, by Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
It was with great sadness along with all our love that Henry Heigle joined our Lord on Nov. 17. He was born Sept. 29, 1930, in Tumbling Shoals, Ark., to a family of 12 children.
He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Betty Jean Heigle; three brothers, Alva, Orville and James; five sisters, Frances, Melba, Lois, Annie and Mary; three children, Deborah Anita Roe, Darlene Rochelle Wagner and Darin Henry Heigle; seven grandchildren, Dana, Dustin, Nicole, Kara, Joshua, Amanda and Jesse; four great-grandchildren: Miran-da, Reyna, Damien and Alicia. He was a veteran of the Korean War and retired from the Teamsters Union Local No. 357.
He spent his spare time with his family camping, water skiing, hiking, picnicking and being involved in any and all sports and activities they were participating in.
He was a devoted, loving and caring husband, father and grandfather.
Funeral services are to be held at Miller Jones Mortuary in Perris, Calif., on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. For any information regarding the services, please call (951) 943-8313.
"SALLY" HAWKINS
Ida Mae “Sally” Hawkins, 78, passed away Sunday morning, Nov. 20 at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.
Sally was born in Lonoke on April 14, 1927, to Richard and Ernie Mae Reiff. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 25 years, Jeff Thomason of Lonoke, her husband of 31 years, Orval K. Hawkins of Alpena, and four grandchildren.
Sally is survived by sons, Richard and wife Glenda Thomason of Springtown, Texas, Jeff and wife Mary Thomason, Jr. of Malvern and Kenneth and wife Nola Hawkins of Alpena; daughters, Charlotte and husband Burnis Horton of Cabot, Margo Wilson of Fort Worth, Texas, Doris and husband Ted Christian and Le Iva and husband Donald Klein of Alpena, Texas, Kathryn and husband Maynard Craff of East Alton, Ill., and Gayle and husband Dan Bedillian of Bedford, Texas. She also leaves behind eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren from her union with Mr. Thomason, 31 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren from her union with Mr. Hawkins, and many others who adopted her as their “Granny.”
She was small in stature but a giant in sharing love and laughter. Her precious smile stayed with her right up to the threshold of heaven and a strong faith in God carried her across. She was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
Services officiated by Brother Floyd Flowers will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Boyd Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Hebron Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Jason Coker, Greg Horton, Brad Thomason, Jerry Thomason, A.J. Womack and Andrew Womack. Arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home in Lonoke.
ERNEST HANSON
Ernest Gerald Hanson, 74, passed away Nov. 21 at his McRae home. He was born Dec. 24, 1930, in Oregon, Ill., to the late Ernest Otto and Anna E. Guenther Hanson. He was a retired carpenter, a member of the Moose Lodge, Rabbit Breeders Association of MO and a Lutheran.
He is survived by two sons, Ernest A. Hanson of McRae and Gerald E. Hanson of Rochelle, Ill.; grandchildren, Kristy McCall, Christopher Hanson, Angela Hanson, Pamela Hanson, Hans Hanson, Shane Hanson and Kordell Hanson; five great-grandchildren, Xavier McCall, Clayton McCall, Nadji Hanson, Sapora Hanson, and Armani Hanson; a sister, Arlene Lothson of Dekalb, IL. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Ann K Summerville.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Sunday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Visitation will be noon until 2 p.m., Sunday. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
WALLACE HOWARD
Wallace Howard, 64, of Jack-sonville, passed away Monday, Nov. 21. He was born Sept. 20, 1941 in Carlisle to Henry Andrew “Andy” and Delores Hester Howard. He was a U.S. Army veteran, a factory worker and a Baptist. Wallace was a hard-working man and enjoyed music at the Huddle House.
He is survived by his son, Wallace Eugene, Jr. and Lisa of Jacksonville; a grandson, Wallace Eugene III “Scooter” of Jackson-ville; two brothers and their wives, Claude and Carol Howard of Jacksonville, and George and Pat Howard of Russellville; a sister, Thelma Ainsworth and her husband Frank of Ward and other friends and loving family. He was preceded in death by a half-sister, Velma. Thanks to Holly McCloud at the V.A. for being there for him.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Friday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville, with Bro. Elton Balentine officiating. Interment follows at Butlerville Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home (501) 982-2136.
MARIE FARRAR
Marie Alice Farrar, 82, of Cabot, formerly of Auburn, N.Y., passed away on Nov. 20. She was born March 1, 1923, in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the late David and Kathryn Meehan.
She was a member of St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Jacksonville and the Senior Citizen’s in Cabot.
She was preceded in death by her husband William C. Farrar on Nov. 1, 1991.
Survivors include three daughters: Katie Nichols and husband Edwin of Cabot, Sharon Seymour and husband Larry of Auburn, N.Y., and Donna Leontovich of Concord, N. C.; one sister Kathryn Walker of Hemet, Calif.; six grandchildren: Christopher, Heather, Edwin Jr., Scott, Zachary and Stephanie; and two great-grandchildren: Alexis and Tyler David.
Memorial services to be announced at a later date. Cre-mation arrangements by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
DELLA DELAO
Della Jane Roper DeLao, 68, of Jacksonville, passed away Nov. 19. She was born Jan. 6, 1937, in Sikeston, Mo., to Shirley Bernece Norwood Roper and the late Ralph Dolan Roper. She was a 1954 graduate of Harding Academy in Searcy, and attended Capital City Business College. She had a 35-year civil service career retiring in 1993 as an executive secretary to the hospital commander at Little Rock Air Force Base and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include her two sons and their wives, Darryl and Teresa DeLao of Altus, Okla., and Kevin and Michelle DeLao of Tuscon, Ariz.; daughter, Gail Greene and husband Tony DeQueen; six grandchildren, Darryl Jr., Blake, Brittany and Chafen DeLao and Camille and Lee Greene. Funeral services were Tuesday at the Harris Chapel with Mr. Bruce Bryant officiating. Burial was at Robertsville Cemetery by Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton
Pallbearers were family and friends.
KARL EYER
Karl Douglas Eyer, 31, of Jacksonville, passed away Nov. 14. He was born April 12, 1974, at U.S. Camp Kui Army Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, to Olen and Elizabeth Eyer. Karl was a graduate of Jacksonville High School.
He is survived by his parents, Olen and Elizabeth Eyer; brother, Major Ryan M. Eyer, U.S. Marine Corp, several aunts, uncles and cousins from Illinois.
Private funeral services were conducted by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home 1504 Loop Rd, Jacksonville, Ark., with interment in Chapel Hill Memorial Park.
VARA SEATON
Vara S. Seaton, 89, of Batesville passed away Nov. 15. Born April 22, 1916, in Sylvania in Lonoke County, she lived there until moving to Batesville in 1997.
She was a lifelong member of Sylvania Presbyterian Church.
She served as elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, vacation bible school teacher, youth leader, Women of the Church president, Presbyterian Church Extension Committee chairman, and a home missions committee member. She was a Sunday school teacher for sixty years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Otha.
She is survived by one daughter, Darlene Seaton Byrd of Doniphin, Mo.; two sons, Eddie Seaton of Cabot and Carroll Seaton of Batesville; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside service was Saturday at Sylvania Cemetery, by Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
EVENTS
Jacksonville’s holiday open house is Dec. 16
The city of Jacksonville’s annual Christmas Open House will be held at city hall from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16.
The ceremony to present year pins and certificates to city employees will begin at 2 p.m. in the council chambers. Everyone is invited to stop by for refreshments.
Junior auxiliary to host Christmas Tour of Homes
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville will host their annual Christmas tour of homes from 2-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.11.
The following homes are included on the tour: Mr. and Mrs. John Vanderhoof, Mr. and Mrs. Gid Branscum, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Carlisle, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Sherman. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit the underprivileged children of Jacksonville. For ticket information, call Mandy Watson at 501-982-1241.
Holiday Closings
Nearly all area city offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for observance of Thanksgiving Day, while sanitation schedules in some communities will be altered because of the holiday.
In Jacksonville, city offices will be closed both days and there will be no sanitation or recycling services on either day. Landfill (bulky items) will instead be collected today.
City offices in Beebe will be closed Thursday, but open on Friday.
In Cabot, city offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. Thursday garbage collections will be moved to Friday and Friday collections will be moved to Saturday for Cabot residents.
In Lonoke, regular sanitation schedule will take place on Friday, while Thursday’s route will also be run on Friday.
Trash pick-up in Ward will also run as usual on Friday and what doesn’t get picked up on Friday will be picked up on Saturday, according to city officials.
Austin’s city offices will be closed Thursday, but will be open Friday. The sanitation schedule won’t change.
Sherwood’s offices will be closed both days. Thursday’s sanitation schedule will be picked up today and Friday’s regular schedule will be picked up on Monday.
The city of Jacksonville’s annual Christmas Open House will be held at city hall from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16.
The ceremony to present year pins and certificates to city employees will begin at 2 p.m. in the council chambers. Everyone is invited to stop by for refreshments.
Junior auxiliary to host Christmas Tour of Homes
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville will host their annual Christmas tour of homes from 2-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.11.
The following homes are included on the tour: Mr. and Mrs. John Vanderhoof, Mr. and Mrs. Gid Branscum, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Carlisle, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Sherman. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit the underprivileged children of Jacksonville. For ticket information, call Mandy Watson at 501-982-1241.
Holiday Closings
Nearly all area city offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for observance of Thanksgiving Day, while sanitation schedules in some communities will be altered because of the holiday.
In Jacksonville, city offices will be closed both days and there will be no sanitation or recycling services on either day. Landfill (bulky items) will instead be collected today.
City offices in Beebe will be closed Thursday, but open on Friday.
In Cabot, city offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. Thursday garbage collections will be moved to Friday and Friday collections will be moved to Saturday for Cabot residents.
In Lonoke, regular sanitation schedule will take place on Friday, while Thursday’s route will also be run on Friday.
Trash pick-up in Ward will also run as usual on Friday and what doesn’t get picked up on Friday will be picked up on Saturday, according to city officials.
Austin’s city offices will be closed Thursday, but will be open Friday. The sanitation schedule won’t change.
Sherwood’s offices will be closed both days. Thursday’s sanitation schedule will be picked up today and Friday’s regular schedule will be picked up on Monday.
NEIGHBORS >> Honoring a new American
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Sue Hiipakka is proud to be an American.
Born in Germany, she’s even prouder after a special day was hosted in her honor after she became a U.S. citizen earlier this month.
“After 9/11 I wanted to show my allegiance to the United States,” said Hiipakka, a third-grade teacher at Ward Central Elementary in Cabot. “Besides, it’s good to have a say in your government from voting for president to the school board.”
Living near Ramstein, Germany, Sue Reis married Tech Sgt. Tom Hiipakka while he was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in 1983.
Other than a three-year stint in Michigan, the Hiipakkas stayed at Ramstein Air Force Base until 1996 when they were transferred to Little Rock Air Force Base. After Tom Hiipakka retired, Sue got an Arkansas teaching certificate and began teaching at Ward Central Elemen-tary about four years ago.
“I think most Americans take their citizenship for granted,” Hiipakka said.
Becoming a naturalized citizen can take between five months to two years depending on the number of applications submitted to Citizenship and Immigration Service, formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Hiipakka said she had to study a thick, three-ring binder on American history for a civics test as well as an English test.
Applicants must be photographed, fingerprinted and go through an interview process.
After completing her exams, Hiipakka took the oath of citizenship during a ceremony in Little Rock two weeks ago, and the school then decided to surprise her by holding an “American Day.”
Most of the students came to school wearing red, white and blue clothing. Teachers decorated Hiipakka’s classroom with patriotic red, white and blue banners. During a morning ceremony, students raised the flag, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the “Star Spangled Banner” as well as “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood.
Michele French, principal at the school dressed like a judge to reenact Hiipakka’s oath of citizenship ceremony in front of the students.
Connie Kempf, speech pathologist and resident poet at the school, wrote the poem “Congratulations New Citizen” in honor of Hiipakka.
Hip hip hurray
Hip hip hurray
Let’s hear it for Mrs. Hiipakka
It’s her special day!
Way to go, Mrs. Hiipakka
We’re so proud of your new name
The title “U. S. Citizen”
You now can claim!
You studied hard and passed the test
That I would hate to take
But not our “Super Citizen”
For you, it was a piece of cake!
Let’s raise the roof and clap our hands
And show our Ward Central Pride
Red, white and blue shine just for you
Our happiness we cannot hide!
“We are so proud of this lady,” French said, hugging Hiipakka.
After the morning assembly, Zach Owen, manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken of Cabot, delivered 65 snack boxes of chicken and biscuits to the school so the teachers could have an American lunch.
Leader staff writer
Sue Hiipakka is proud to be an American.
Born in Germany, she’s even prouder after a special day was hosted in her honor after she became a U.S. citizen earlier this month.
“After 9/11 I wanted to show my allegiance to the United States,” said Hiipakka, a third-grade teacher at Ward Central Elementary in Cabot. “Besides, it’s good to have a say in your government from voting for president to the school board.”
Living near Ramstein, Germany, Sue Reis married Tech Sgt. Tom Hiipakka while he was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in 1983.
Other than a three-year stint in Michigan, the Hiipakkas stayed at Ramstein Air Force Base until 1996 when they were transferred to Little Rock Air Force Base. After Tom Hiipakka retired, Sue got an Arkansas teaching certificate and began teaching at Ward Central Elemen-tary about four years ago.
“I think most Americans take their citizenship for granted,” Hiipakka said.
Becoming a naturalized citizen can take between five months to two years depending on the number of applications submitted to Citizenship and Immigration Service, formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Hiipakka said she had to study a thick, three-ring binder on American history for a civics test as well as an English test.
Applicants must be photographed, fingerprinted and go through an interview process.
After completing her exams, Hiipakka took the oath of citizenship during a ceremony in Little Rock two weeks ago, and the school then decided to surprise her by holding an “American Day.”
Most of the students came to school wearing red, white and blue clothing. Teachers decorated Hiipakka’s classroom with patriotic red, white and blue banners. During a morning ceremony, students raised the flag, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the “Star Spangled Banner” as well as “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood.
Michele French, principal at the school dressed like a judge to reenact Hiipakka’s oath of citizenship ceremony in front of the students.
Connie Kempf, speech pathologist and resident poet at the school, wrote the poem “Congratulations New Citizen” in honor of Hiipakka.
Hip hip hurray
Hip hip hurray
Let’s hear it for Mrs. Hiipakka
It’s her special day!
Way to go, Mrs. Hiipakka
We’re so proud of your new name
The title “U. S. Citizen”
You now can claim!
You studied hard and passed the test
That I would hate to take
But not our “Super Citizen”
For you, it was a piece of cake!
Let’s raise the roof and clap our hands
And show our Ward Central Pride
Red, white and blue shine just for you
Our happiness we cannot hide!
“We are so proud of this lady,” French said, hugging Hiipakka.
After the morning assembly, Zach Owen, manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken of Cabot, delivered 65 snack boxes of chicken and biscuits to the school so the teachers could have an American lunch.
SPORTS >> SH girls fall to FC; JHS tops hurt NP
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills girls basketball team dropped to 1-2 Saturday with a hard-fought loss to Forrest City in the Heavenly Hoops Classic hosted by Mount St. Mary at the UALR Fieldhouse.
The game’s result gave the Lady Mustangs fifth place in the tournament and left the Lady Bears with sixth.
Two Lady Mustang players finished with double-doubles while three players finished in double figures.
Fareedah Washington led the way with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Cassandra Jackson added 11 points and 11 boards. Kesha Stovall finished with 10 points and four rebounds and had three blocked shots.
LaShunda Rogers added five points and grabbed nine rebounds. It took the team a half to get their game going.
“We came out real sluggish and just didn‚t look like we wanted to be there,” said Lady Mustang Coach Jackie England.
Indeed, Sylvan Hills led 14-13 after one period but Forrest City rallied just enough in the second period to claim a 23-20 lead at the half.
Things picked up quite a bit for the Lady Mustangs in the second half.
The Lady Bears regained the advantage after three periods, leading 28-27 before Forrest City closed the game by outscoring Sylvan Hills 16-10 in the fourth period.
“Sylvan Hills is quicker than us,” England said. “Not as big as we are, but quicker. They are a much better team than they were a year ago.”
The game was knotted at 38-38 with 1:20 left to play. Forrest City dropped in three out of four free throws in the final 30 seconds to put the game away.
“Sylvan Hills never quit and we never lost our composure late in the game,” England said. “We found a way to end the game the way we wanted to end it.”
The two teams will meet twice more in AAAAA-East Conference play.
In the seventh-place game, Jackson-ville beat crosstown rival North Pulaski 57-46 for its first win of the season. North Pulaski dropped to 0-3, but played the whole tournament without two key players, and played its last two games without three of its projected starters.
Jacksonville was led by Tarneshia Scott and Morgan Waits, who each scored 18 points for the Lady Devils.
Neisha Ridgeway and Jessica Carter led the Lady Falcons with 11 points apiece.
The two teams will meet again on December 5 to make up what was supposed to be the season opener for both teams on Nov. 11. That game was rescheduled because Jacksonville’s football playoff game schedule conflicted with the game.
Mount St. Mary won the tournament by beating Russell-ville 51-46 in the final.
The third-place game pitted two AAAAA-South teams against each other, and it was Watson Chapel coming out on top of El Dorado. Jacksonville hosted North Little Rock in its home opener last night after Leader deadlines.
The Lady Falcons played at Little Rock Central Tuesday night, and won’t open at home until the return game with Central on Dec. 13. NP will be in the CAC tournament next week. Look for details of Tuesday’s Jacksonville and North Pulaski games in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills girls basketball team dropped to 1-2 Saturday with a hard-fought loss to Forrest City in the Heavenly Hoops Classic hosted by Mount St. Mary at the UALR Fieldhouse.
The game’s result gave the Lady Mustangs fifth place in the tournament and left the Lady Bears with sixth.
Two Lady Mustang players finished with double-doubles while three players finished in double figures.
Fareedah Washington led the way with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Cassandra Jackson added 11 points and 11 boards. Kesha Stovall finished with 10 points and four rebounds and had three blocked shots.
LaShunda Rogers added five points and grabbed nine rebounds. It took the team a half to get their game going.
“We came out real sluggish and just didn‚t look like we wanted to be there,” said Lady Mustang Coach Jackie England.
Indeed, Sylvan Hills led 14-13 after one period but Forrest City rallied just enough in the second period to claim a 23-20 lead at the half.
Things picked up quite a bit for the Lady Mustangs in the second half.
The Lady Bears regained the advantage after three periods, leading 28-27 before Forrest City closed the game by outscoring Sylvan Hills 16-10 in the fourth period.
“Sylvan Hills is quicker than us,” England said. “Not as big as we are, but quicker. They are a much better team than they were a year ago.”
The game was knotted at 38-38 with 1:20 left to play. Forrest City dropped in three out of four free throws in the final 30 seconds to put the game away.
“Sylvan Hills never quit and we never lost our composure late in the game,” England said. “We found a way to end the game the way we wanted to end it.”
The two teams will meet twice more in AAAAA-East Conference play.
In the seventh-place game, Jackson-ville beat crosstown rival North Pulaski 57-46 for its first win of the season. North Pulaski dropped to 0-3, but played the whole tournament without two key players, and played its last two games without three of its projected starters.
Jacksonville was led by Tarneshia Scott and Morgan Waits, who each scored 18 points for the Lady Devils.
Neisha Ridgeway and Jessica Carter led the Lady Falcons with 11 points apiece.
The two teams will meet again on December 5 to make up what was supposed to be the season opener for both teams on Nov. 11. That game was rescheduled because Jacksonville’s football playoff game schedule conflicted with the game.
Mount St. Mary won the tournament by beating Russell-ville 51-46 in the final.
The third-place game pitted two AAAAA-South teams against each other, and it was Watson Chapel coming out on top of El Dorado. Jacksonville hosted North Little Rock in its home opener last night after Leader deadlines.
The Lady Falcons played at Little Rock Central Tuesday night, and won’t open at home until the return game with Central on Dec. 13. NP will be in the CAC tournament next week. Look for details of Tuesday’s Jacksonville and North Pulaski games in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
SPORTS >> NPHS freshmen upset Red Devils
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski freshman Falcons came from behind in the second half to pull off a minor upset Monday night in Metro Conference play with a 42-39 victory over crosstown rival Jacksonville.
The Falcons win blurs the early race for the final Metro Conference championship, giving Jacksonville one loss, and drops the Devils into a four-way tie for first with North Pulaski, North Little Rock and Cabot Junior High North.
The Falcons put together a furious rally after falling behind 30-24 late in the third quarter. From that point, the Falcons outscored Jacksonville 13-2 to take a 37-32 lead with two minutes left in the game, and held on for the victory.
“The kids played great tonight,” North Pulaski coach Todd Romaine said. “They’re so up and down. They played so poorly in the first half at Cabot, then came out tonight and played like this. I’m very proud of them. They gave a great effort and they played smart at the same time. It’s a good win.”
Falcon center Carlos Donely scored just two points in the first three quarters, but finished with 11 after going on a tear to lead NP in the fourth.
No shot was bigger than a 16-footer from the elbow that put the Falcons up 40-37 with 35 seconds left in the game. The shot rattled around the rim before popping straight up and falling straight back through.
“Everybody kind of gasped when he shot that, but that pretty much sealed it for us,” Romaine said. “It was a huge shot. He really stepped up. He got in early foul trouble and I couldn’t play him. When he went in there in the fourth quarter he played smart and he hit the big one.”
A rebound and putback by Antwan Lockhart pulled the Red Devils back to within 40-39 with 15 seconds left. North Pulaski guard Jordan Anderson was then fouled with 6.5 seconds left and went to the line, where he smoothly nailed both free throws to set the final margin.
Jacksonville’s LaQuentin Miles got an open look from three at the other end, but the shot was too long as time expired.
Jacksonville grabbed a small lead early in the game and kept it until the fourth quarter when the Falcons went on their 13-2 run.
NP had tied the game at 24-24 before Jacksonville scored six- straight points.
Romaine called timeout, but afterwards said he didn’t try to inspire his guys, just the opposite.
“It wasn’t gut-check time,” Romaine said. “I was trying to get them to calm down. I’ve got some good athletes this year, but we’re not going to out-athlete that bunch. They were getting us into a type of game that they were going to beat us at. I just called a play and told ‘em to relax and run the offense like they had been. They responded, they executed and you can see what it got us.”
Donley’s 11 led the Falcons. Anderson added 10 points while guard Stanley Appleby scored eight. Cody Wafe added seven for the Falcons.
Lockhart led all scorers with 13 points while Antonio Wash-ington added 10 for the Red Devils. Miles scored eight.
The two teams, as well as the rest of the Metro Conference, will be back in action next Monday. Jacksonville will host Oak Grove while North Pulaski travels to Mills.
North Little Rock improved to 4-1 with a home win over Mills Monday. Cabot North traveled to Sylvan Hills for another victory to also improve to 4-1.
Cabot South beat Oak Grove for its first conference win of the year, but is a major player in the title race this year despite the 1-3 record.
South took North Pulaski and North Little Rock into overtime this season, while losing by just four points to Jacksonville.
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski freshman Falcons came from behind in the second half to pull off a minor upset Monday night in Metro Conference play with a 42-39 victory over crosstown rival Jacksonville.
The Falcons win blurs the early race for the final Metro Conference championship, giving Jacksonville one loss, and drops the Devils into a four-way tie for first with North Pulaski, North Little Rock and Cabot Junior High North.
The Falcons put together a furious rally after falling behind 30-24 late in the third quarter. From that point, the Falcons outscored Jacksonville 13-2 to take a 37-32 lead with two minutes left in the game, and held on for the victory.
“The kids played great tonight,” North Pulaski coach Todd Romaine said. “They’re so up and down. They played so poorly in the first half at Cabot, then came out tonight and played like this. I’m very proud of them. They gave a great effort and they played smart at the same time. It’s a good win.”
Falcon center Carlos Donely scored just two points in the first three quarters, but finished with 11 after going on a tear to lead NP in the fourth.
No shot was bigger than a 16-footer from the elbow that put the Falcons up 40-37 with 35 seconds left in the game. The shot rattled around the rim before popping straight up and falling straight back through.
“Everybody kind of gasped when he shot that, but that pretty much sealed it for us,” Romaine said. “It was a huge shot. He really stepped up. He got in early foul trouble and I couldn’t play him. When he went in there in the fourth quarter he played smart and he hit the big one.”
A rebound and putback by Antwan Lockhart pulled the Red Devils back to within 40-39 with 15 seconds left. North Pulaski guard Jordan Anderson was then fouled with 6.5 seconds left and went to the line, where he smoothly nailed both free throws to set the final margin.
Jacksonville’s LaQuentin Miles got an open look from three at the other end, but the shot was too long as time expired.
Jacksonville grabbed a small lead early in the game and kept it until the fourth quarter when the Falcons went on their 13-2 run.
NP had tied the game at 24-24 before Jacksonville scored six- straight points.
Romaine called timeout, but afterwards said he didn’t try to inspire his guys, just the opposite.
“It wasn’t gut-check time,” Romaine said. “I was trying to get them to calm down. I’ve got some good athletes this year, but we’re not going to out-athlete that bunch. They were getting us into a type of game that they were going to beat us at. I just called a play and told ‘em to relax and run the offense like they had been. They responded, they executed and you can see what it got us.”
Donley’s 11 led the Falcons. Anderson added 10 points while guard Stanley Appleby scored eight. Cody Wafe added seven for the Falcons.
Lockhart led all scorers with 13 points while Antonio Wash-ington added 10 for the Red Devils. Miles scored eight.
The two teams, as well as the rest of the Metro Conference, will be back in action next Monday. Jacksonville will host Oak Grove while North Pulaski travels to Mills.
North Little Rock improved to 4-1 with a home win over Mills Monday. Cabot North traveled to Sylvan Hills for another victory to also improve to 4-1.
Cabot South beat Oak Grove for its first conference win of the year, but is a major player in the title race this year despite the 1-3 record.
South took North Pulaski and North Little Rock into overtime this season, while losing by just four points to Jacksonville.
EDITORIAL >> Murtha’s clarion call
It can be recorded that on the sere autumn day of the 17th of November in Washington, D.C., the great American tragedy of Iraq reached its denouement when the end if not the absolute solution could be seen clearly.
It was the day U.S. Rep. John Murtha, quite an obscure man for most Americans, said that the United States should very soon withdraw nearly all of its troops from Iraq and redeploy them.
Men and women of far greater stature had criticized the war and called for withdrawal without causing a blip in the enduring discourse on the war. But after the war speech by the meek Pennsylvanian, the Bush administration’s favorite Democrat, the White House went on the attack.
President Bush, Vice President Cheney, GOP leaders called him disloyal, a boon to terrorists, the exponent of traitorous ideas that gave succor to the enemies of freedom and discouragement to our troops.
Three days later, the administration had reconsidered and called Murtha a patriotic American, just a wrongheaded one.
Perhaps the president had divined that Murtha was not right, at least most Americans believed that he was. Murtha said he was far behind the American people. A decorated war hero and the military’s best friend in Congress, Murtha was a firm advocate of the invasion of Iraq and one of Bush’s few defenders on the Democratic side.
What Murtha offered on the 17th was not another broadside against the administration but a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the war and a way out of it, which even Republicans in Congress are beginning to demand that the administration formulate.
He would pull nearly all foreign troops from Iraqi soil in phases over six months, bring Reservists and Guardsmen home and redeploy troops in the region as a fast-strike force. Security and stability in Iraq would be pursued diplomatically.
While Bush and Cheney continue to say the United States will stay the course and remain in Iraq until it is a secure and prosperous democracy, sometime before the midterm elections in 2006 the government, probably over Cheney’s private objections, will embrace something like Murtha’s strategy. When close to 70 percent of Americans believe the war was wrong or badly conducted, an administration that makes a religion of politics will have no choice.
Forget the debate over whether the administration cooked the evidence for invading Iraq. If there is one thing clear about this murky war it is that regardless of the valorous and humanitarian work of our warriors, we are getting no closer to winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis or of securing the safety of the people or the stability of their government. Iraqi security forces will never secure the country as long as we are willing to do it for them.
Murtha thought it was imperative to end the war because U.S. presence was feeding the insurgency and radicalism in a country that had always eschewed religious extremism and, under Saddam Hussein, even butchered it. As long as U.S. troops are around, even the elected government will be seen as puppets, which may explain why it called for an early withdrawal of our military. It is hard to argue that withdrawal will lead to chaos when we see it every day in the rubble and the blood-streaked faces of innocent Iraqi citizens.
But Murtha had a more heartfelt reason. The military that he loves is deteriorating daily.
Readiness is strained, recruiting has collapsed, ground equipment is worn out and soldiers are unprotected, procurement corruption is rampant and troops are fatigued after two and sometimes three tours of duty.
He may have remembered the explanation by Gen. Maxwell Taylor, the Army chief of staff, for America’s departure from Vietnam. We went there to save Vietnam and got out to save the U.S. Army.
It was the day U.S. Rep. John Murtha, quite an obscure man for most Americans, said that the United States should very soon withdraw nearly all of its troops from Iraq and redeploy them.
Men and women of far greater stature had criticized the war and called for withdrawal without causing a blip in the enduring discourse on the war. But after the war speech by the meek Pennsylvanian, the Bush administration’s favorite Democrat, the White House went on the attack.
President Bush, Vice President Cheney, GOP leaders called him disloyal, a boon to terrorists, the exponent of traitorous ideas that gave succor to the enemies of freedom and discouragement to our troops.
Three days later, the administration had reconsidered and called Murtha a patriotic American, just a wrongheaded one.
Perhaps the president had divined that Murtha was not right, at least most Americans believed that he was. Murtha said he was far behind the American people. A decorated war hero and the military’s best friend in Congress, Murtha was a firm advocate of the invasion of Iraq and one of Bush’s few defenders on the Democratic side.
What Murtha offered on the 17th was not another broadside against the administration but a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the war and a way out of it, which even Republicans in Congress are beginning to demand that the administration formulate.
He would pull nearly all foreign troops from Iraqi soil in phases over six months, bring Reservists and Guardsmen home and redeploy troops in the region as a fast-strike force. Security and stability in Iraq would be pursued diplomatically.
While Bush and Cheney continue to say the United States will stay the course and remain in Iraq until it is a secure and prosperous democracy, sometime before the midterm elections in 2006 the government, probably over Cheney’s private objections, will embrace something like Murtha’s strategy. When close to 70 percent of Americans believe the war was wrong or badly conducted, an administration that makes a religion of politics will have no choice.
Forget the debate over whether the administration cooked the evidence for invading Iraq. If there is one thing clear about this murky war it is that regardless of the valorous and humanitarian work of our warriors, we are getting no closer to winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis or of securing the safety of the people or the stability of their government. Iraqi security forces will never secure the country as long as we are willing to do it for them.
Murtha thought it was imperative to end the war because U.S. presence was feeding the insurgency and radicalism in a country that had always eschewed religious extremism and, under Saddam Hussein, even butchered it. As long as U.S. troops are around, even the elected government will be seen as puppets, which may explain why it called for an early withdrawal of our military. It is hard to argue that withdrawal will lead to chaos when we see it every day in the rubble and the blood-streaked faces of innocent Iraqi citizens.
But Murtha had a more heartfelt reason. The military that he loves is deteriorating daily.
Readiness is strained, recruiting has collapsed, ground equipment is worn out and soldiers are unprotected, procurement corruption is rampant and troops are fatigued after two and sometimes three tours of duty.
He may have remembered the explanation by Gen. Maxwell Taylor, the Army chief of staff, for America’s departure from Vietnam. We went there to save Vietnam and got out to save the U.S. Army.
FROM THE PUBLISHER >> Administration runs into trap door overseas
Every administration has its defining moment that symbolizes its successes or failures — from John Kennedy’s “Ich bien ein Berliner” to Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” from Richard Nixon’s “I’m not a crook” to Bill Clinton’s “I did not have sex with that woman,” from George H.W. Bush throwing up in Japan to George W. visiting Beijing more than a decade later and getting stuck in front of a door that would not open. (Maybe it was the first Bush’s immortal words, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” that got him defeated.)
The trap door where President Bush found himself on Sunday as he tried to leave a press conference that was going badly is a pretty good snapshot of an administration that has lost its way.
The President’s poll numbers are down 50 points in four years — an unprecedented decline that speaks volumes about lost opportunities since 9/11. Unable to convince most Americans that the war in Iraq was worth fighting, the administration, while attacking its critics, is speeding up plans to withdraw our troops starting next fall, just in time for the November congressional elections.
The Senate two weeks ago passed a measure calling for a pullback starting next year.
Iraqi factions on Tuesday called for a similar timetable, leaving the Bush administration little choice but to join the bandwagon, with or without Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who are still true believers.
Republicans made a mistake picking a fight with Rep. John Murtha, an avuncular figure who last week called for an early withdrawal from Iraq.
The administration and its supporters tried to attack Murtha, then backed off, calling him a patriot who has every right to speak out.
Speak out? Invite him into the Bush cabinet.
Although the Republican-passed Senate resolution is similar to Murtha’s position on the war, the House last Friday voted on an absurd Republican measure calling for immediate withdrawal. It was rejected after a nasty partisan fight, but it revealed deep divisions in a once solidly united Repub-lican Party, where support for the war has dropped as casualties continue to rise.
Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran, is a plain-spoken conservative Democrat who is one of the Pentagon’s biggest boosters in Congress. Like CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, who turned against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and changed public opinion almost overnight, Murtha has won over millions of Americans who see our involvement in Iraq as a series of mistakes — from faulty intelligence to inadequate troop strength and supplies — although most Americans have believed that for months.
Bush has lost the support of the left, center and right. A trifecta.
Just a third of the public approves the way Bush is handling his job, which will make him a lame duck for the next three years, unless he reaches out to new advisers and fires his national security team, from Cheney on down, and starts all over, refocusing his energies and leveling with the public on why his administration has faltered so badly.
Voters and pundits from across the political spectrum have concluded that we have stumbled badly in Iraq. The President could start by admitting that the so-called intelligence that led us into war was totally wrong and the people who misled him and the nation are banished from government forever.
He owes that much to the nation and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
The trap door where President Bush found himself on Sunday as he tried to leave a press conference that was going badly is a pretty good snapshot of an administration that has lost its way.
The President’s poll numbers are down 50 points in four years — an unprecedented decline that speaks volumes about lost opportunities since 9/11. Unable to convince most Americans that the war in Iraq was worth fighting, the administration, while attacking its critics, is speeding up plans to withdraw our troops starting next fall, just in time for the November congressional elections.
The Senate two weeks ago passed a measure calling for a pullback starting next year.
Iraqi factions on Tuesday called for a similar timetable, leaving the Bush administration little choice but to join the bandwagon, with or without Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who are still true believers.
Republicans made a mistake picking a fight with Rep. John Murtha, an avuncular figure who last week called for an early withdrawal from Iraq.
The administration and its supporters tried to attack Murtha, then backed off, calling him a patriot who has every right to speak out.
Speak out? Invite him into the Bush cabinet.
Although the Republican-passed Senate resolution is similar to Murtha’s position on the war, the House last Friday voted on an absurd Republican measure calling for immediate withdrawal. It was rejected after a nasty partisan fight, but it revealed deep divisions in a once solidly united Repub-lican Party, where support for the war has dropped as casualties continue to rise.
Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran, is a plain-spoken conservative Democrat who is one of the Pentagon’s biggest boosters in Congress. Like CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, who turned against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and changed public opinion almost overnight, Murtha has won over millions of Americans who see our involvement in Iraq as a series of mistakes — from faulty intelligence to inadequate troop strength and supplies — although most Americans have believed that for months.
Bush has lost the support of the left, center and right. A trifecta.
Just a third of the public approves the way Bush is handling his job, which will make him a lame duck for the next three years, unless he reaches out to new advisers and fires his national security team, from Cheney on down, and starts all over, refocusing his energies and leveling with the public on why his administration has faltered so badly.
Voters and pundits from across the political spectrum have concluded that we have stumbled badly in Iraq. The President could start by admitting that the so-called intelligence that led us into war was totally wrong and the people who misled him and the nation are banished from government forever.
He owes that much to the nation and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
TOP STORY >> Ruling favorable to payday lenders
By WESLEY BROWN
Arkansas News Bureau
A circuit judge in Little Rock upheld Arkansas’ payday lending law Tuesday.
Opponents who challenged the six-year-old law said they would appeal Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ ruling that the Check Cashers Act of 1999 is constitutional.
Sims ruled after a 40-minute hearing that there has been no misuse of taxpayer funds by the State Board of Collection Agencies, and that the 1999 statute passed by the legislature to regulate payday lending is legally sound.
“The statute as written is constitutional,” Sims said in his one-sentence decision.
Jacksonville, Cabot and Sher-wood have several payday lenders that cater to the working poor and members of the military and their families.
The issue was back before Sims after the state Supreme Court in January reversed its earlier decision dismissing the original complaint for failure to state facts upon which relief could be granted.
The plaintiffs in the case, represented by attorney Todd Turner of Arkadelphia, argued the check-cashing law violates state usury laws, allowing pay-day lenders to charge annual interest rates in excess of 400 percent despite the state Constitution’s usury cap of 17 percent on consumer loans.
“What I am asking the court to do is overrule what the General Assembly did when it passed the checking-cashing law ... and declare it unconstitutional,” Turner told the judge. But lawyers for the state Board of Collection Agencies and the Arkansas Financial Services Association, which represent the payday lending industry, disputed Turner’s arguments on two fronts.
Thomas Thrash, representing the ABCA, contended Turner could not argue the 1999 act’s legal integrity unless he proved that state funds were misused in applying the law.
“This is a very simple (issue), but we’ve done our very best to complicate it,” Thrash said.
If the plaintiffs were going to attack the constitutionality of the law, then they must first exhaust all their remedies before the ABCA, he said.
“This entire case hinges on whether or not there were taxpayer funds in use to finance the ABCA’s division of check cashing,” the Little Rock attorney said.
Arkansas News Bureau
A circuit judge in Little Rock upheld Arkansas’ payday lending law Tuesday.
Opponents who challenged the six-year-old law said they would appeal Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ ruling that the Check Cashers Act of 1999 is constitutional.
Sims ruled after a 40-minute hearing that there has been no misuse of taxpayer funds by the State Board of Collection Agencies, and that the 1999 statute passed by the legislature to regulate payday lending is legally sound.
“The statute as written is constitutional,” Sims said in his one-sentence decision.
Jacksonville, Cabot and Sher-wood have several payday lenders that cater to the working poor and members of the military and their families.
The issue was back before Sims after the state Supreme Court in January reversed its earlier decision dismissing the original complaint for failure to state facts upon which relief could be granted.
The plaintiffs in the case, represented by attorney Todd Turner of Arkadelphia, argued the check-cashing law violates state usury laws, allowing pay-day lenders to charge annual interest rates in excess of 400 percent despite the state Constitution’s usury cap of 17 percent on consumer loans.
“What I am asking the court to do is overrule what the General Assembly did when it passed the checking-cashing law ... and declare it unconstitutional,” Turner told the judge. But lawyers for the state Board of Collection Agencies and the Arkansas Financial Services Association, which represent the payday lending industry, disputed Turner’s arguments on two fronts.
Thomas Thrash, representing the ABCA, contended Turner could not argue the 1999 act’s legal integrity unless he proved that state funds were misused in applying the law.
“This is a very simple (issue), but we’ve done our very best to complicate it,” Thrash said.
If the plaintiffs were going to attack the constitutionality of the law, then they must first exhaust all their remedies before the ABCA, he said.
“This entire case hinges on whether or not there were taxpayer funds in use to finance the ABCA’s division of check cashing,” the Little Rock attorney said.
TOP STORY >> Cabot developers frustrated
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Five Cabot-area developers were among those who attended a hearing called to air grievances against the actions of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality which has stepped up enforcement of federal EPA storm-water runoff regulations.
One of those developers says he appreciates the interest of Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, who called the hearing earlier this month, but he says nothing has changed.
The ADEQ is hardnosed in its enforcement and he fears higher fines if he complains.
The developer said he was fined twice, once for $4,800 and once for $2,800.
Fines generally range from $3,000 to $10,000 per violation.
The developer, who asked not to be identified, said ADEQ’s requirements are adding significantly to the cost of development.
“It’s getting expensive,” he said. “I can spend $30,000 to $40,000 to put bales of hay and screening around a subdivision before I even start building. And some of it is uphill. Where’s anything going to run to?”
During the hearing, developers complained that the ADEQ has unfairly fined them for violating storm-water runoff regulations without giving them time to correct problems.
Glover said the department has been nitpicking the developers—fines for not having a rain gauge in the right place or papers in the right place, for instance.
Each development must have a permit in plain sight, with an approved pollution-discharge plan in an ADEQ mail box at the development and must have devices like straw bales and mesh netting to reduce the discharge of silt from construction sites.
The Cabot developer said this week that one of the biggest problems is dirt on the street that comes off delivery trucks that have driven across muddy construction sites.
“There is no way to prevent that,” he said.
Dennis Benson, chief of the ADEQ water division enforcement section, said enforcement was stepped up about 18 months ago after a sweep of central Arkansas showed that about 75 percent of developers were in violation of runoff regulations.
“Sediment can have a lot of impact on receiving waters,” Ben-son said.
For instance, he said, they are talking about a drawdown of Lake Conway because of sediment coming from developments.
In cities, silt fills up storm-water drains and can cause flooding. In Cabot, improperly maintained silt fences and improper discharge of water from a subdivision muddied the city pond on Kerr Station Road so badly that one resident who fished there every Sunday feared Arkansas Game and Fish would not be able to stock it with trout in December as planned.
Tim Lemons, a Cabot civil engineer, represents several developers. While he says ADEQ inspectors are polite and professional, he said the developers need time to adjust to the new inspection rules and time to correct any deficiencies before they are fined.
“My problem is not with the ADEQ staff, my problem is with the system itself,” Lemons said.
He said he wants a probationary period for developers to find out what they are doing wrong and fix it and learn before the fining phase.
But the Cabot developer said he believes any effort to get ADEQ to soften its enforcement practices is “dead in the water.”
While Lemons was reserved and respectful with his comments, the developer was more plain spoken.
“They’ve gone from one extreme to the other,” he said. “It used to be that they came out and talked to us and told us what we were doing wrong. Now they fine us. I think they want us to be afraid of them.”
Leader staff writer
Five Cabot-area developers were among those who attended a hearing called to air grievances against the actions of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality which has stepped up enforcement of federal EPA storm-water runoff regulations.
One of those developers says he appreciates the interest of Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, who called the hearing earlier this month, but he says nothing has changed.
The ADEQ is hardnosed in its enforcement and he fears higher fines if he complains.
The developer said he was fined twice, once for $4,800 and once for $2,800.
Fines generally range from $3,000 to $10,000 per violation.
The developer, who asked not to be identified, said ADEQ’s requirements are adding significantly to the cost of development.
“It’s getting expensive,” he said. “I can spend $30,000 to $40,000 to put bales of hay and screening around a subdivision before I even start building. And some of it is uphill. Where’s anything going to run to?”
During the hearing, developers complained that the ADEQ has unfairly fined them for violating storm-water runoff regulations without giving them time to correct problems.
Glover said the department has been nitpicking the developers—fines for not having a rain gauge in the right place or papers in the right place, for instance.
Each development must have a permit in plain sight, with an approved pollution-discharge plan in an ADEQ mail box at the development and must have devices like straw bales and mesh netting to reduce the discharge of silt from construction sites.
The Cabot developer said this week that one of the biggest problems is dirt on the street that comes off delivery trucks that have driven across muddy construction sites.
“There is no way to prevent that,” he said.
Dennis Benson, chief of the ADEQ water division enforcement section, said enforcement was stepped up about 18 months ago after a sweep of central Arkansas showed that about 75 percent of developers were in violation of runoff regulations.
“Sediment can have a lot of impact on receiving waters,” Ben-son said.
For instance, he said, they are talking about a drawdown of Lake Conway because of sediment coming from developments.
In cities, silt fills up storm-water drains and can cause flooding. In Cabot, improperly maintained silt fences and improper discharge of water from a subdivision muddied the city pond on Kerr Station Road so badly that one resident who fished there every Sunday feared Arkansas Game and Fish would not be able to stock it with trout in December as planned.
Tim Lemons, a Cabot civil engineer, represents several developers. While he says ADEQ inspectors are polite and professional, he said the developers need time to adjust to the new inspection rules and time to correct any deficiencies before they are fined.
“My problem is not with the ADEQ staff, my problem is with the system itself,” Lemons said.
He said he wants a probationary period for developers to find out what they are doing wrong and fix it and learn before the fining phase.
But the Cabot developer said he believes any effort to get ADEQ to soften its enforcement practices is “dead in the water.”
While Lemons was reserved and respectful with his comments, the developer was more plain spoken.
“They’ve gone from one extreme to the other,” he said. “It used to be that they came out and talked to us and told us what we were doing wrong. Now they fine us. I think they want us to be afraid of them.”
TOP STORY >> District official defends himself
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Marvin H. Jeter III said Monday that the reason he was not rehired at Forest (Miss.) Municipal School District was that he championed racial equality and also allowed an integrated prom, which displeased the superintendent.
Jeter, director of learning services for Pulaski County Special School District, also denied charges by Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Director Bonita Rownd that he asked her for help in transferring Michael Nellums from his position as principal of the Jacksonville Middle School boys campus.
On Oct. 18, Rownd sent a letter to then-acting PCSSD superintendent Robert Clowers alleging that Jeter sought her help because Nellums had a lot of community support in the Jacksonville area.
According to Rownd’s letter, Jeter told her privately that Nellums “didn’t have the experience to handle the intricacies of a challenging new program” and said he needed to be moved to another school, but that the community seemed to support Nellums.
In her letter, Rownd wrote that Jeter charged that Nellums, school board member Rev. James Bolden III and Karl Brown, assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services, had formed “a power block to try to get things done their own way.”
Speaking Monday night after a community meeting over the proposed closing of Homer Adkins Elementary School, Jeter flatly denied having that conversation or anything resembling it with Rownd.
“I deny the accusations made in the first and second paragraphs of Ms. Rownd’s letter,” Jeter wrote in a memo to Clowers.
“Although I have previously discussed with you my disappointment in Michael Nellums’ performance as principal of Jacksonville Middle School, boys campus, I did not discuss that personally with Ms. Rownd.”
STAND BY LETTER
“I stand by my letter,” Rownd said Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t want to escalate the rhetoric. I don’t want to get into a war of words.”
Jeter said he didn’t include Skip Lathem, superintendent of Forest Municipal Schools, as a reference when he sought his current job with Pulaski County Special School District because “I was philosophically, ethically and morally repulsed by Mr. Lathem’s position on the inequitable treatment of students and teachers.”
In a telephone interview last week, Lathem said Jeter was involved in “divisive-type issues” while at the district and was not eligible for rehire as long as he was superintendent.
“Whatever the problem between Mr. Jeter and Mr. Lathem, I don’t know,” said Sammye Jean Webb, former president of the Forest Municipal School District Board and Jeter’s reference in lieu of Lathem.
“The students liked him very well,” she said. Webb, who said Jeter told her Tuesday to expect a reporter’s inquiry, confirmed that prior to Jeter’s arrival, the district had segregated proms but said she didn’t know if racial issues were at the root of the problems between Lathem and Jeter. She characterized Jeter as very forward-looking and talented.
“He had some ideas that might have worked had he been able to put them in place,” Webb said.
Webb said she didn’t recall whether or not PCSSD personnel had checked with her as Jeter’s reference before he was hired.
Jeter said that while academics were his priority, he never neglected his duties as athletic director for the district.
Leader staff writer
Marvin H. Jeter III said Monday that the reason he was not rehired at Forest (Miss.) Municipal School District was that he championed racial equality and also allowed an integrated prom, which displeased the superintendent.
Jeter, director of learning services for Pulaski County Special School District, also denied charges by Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Director Bonita Rownd that he asked her for help in transferring Michael Nellums from his position as principal of the Jacksonville Middle School boys campus.
On Oct. 18, Rownd sent a letter to then-acting PCSSD superintendent Robert Clowers alleging that Jeter sought her help because Nellums had a lot of community support in the Jacksonville area.
According to Rownd’s letter, Jeter told her privately that Nellums “didn’t have the experience to handle the intricacies of a challenging new program” and said he needed to be moved to another school, but that the community seemed to support Nellums.
In her letter, Rownd wrote that Jeter charged that Nellums, school board member Rev. James Bolden III and Karl Brown, assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services, had formed “a power block to try to get things done their own way.”
Speaking Monday night after a community meeting over the proposed closing of Homer Adkins Elementary School, Jeter flatly denied having that conversation or anything resembling it with Rownd.
“I deny the accusations made in the first and second paragraphs of Ms. Rownd’s letter,” Jeter wrote in a memo to Clowers.
“Although I have previously discussed with you my disappointment in Michael Nellums’ performance as principal of Jacksonville Middle School, boys campus, I did not discuss that personally with Ms. Rownd.”
STAND BY LETTER
“I stand by my letter,” Rownd said Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t want to escalate the rhetoric. I don’t want to get into a war of words.”
Jeter said he didn’t include Skip Lathem, superintendent of Forest Municipal Schools, as a reference when he sought his current job with Pulaski County Special School District because “I was philosophically, ethically and morally repulsed by Mr. Lathem’s position on the inequitable treatment of students and teachers.”
In a telephone interview last week, Lathem said Jeter was involved in “divisive-type issues” while at the district and was not eligible for rehire as long as he was superintendent.
“Whatever the problem between Mr. Jeter and Mr. Lathem, I don’t know,” said Sammye Jean Webb, former president of the Forest Municipal School District Board and Jeter’s reference in lieu of Lathem.
“The students liked him very well,” she said. Webb, who said Jeter told her Tuesday to expect a reporter’s inquiry, confirmed that prior to Jeter’s arrival, the district had segregated proms but said she didn’t know if racial issues were at the root of the problems between Lathem and Jeter. She characterized Jeter as very forward-looking and talented.
“He had some ideas that might have worked had he been able to put them in place,” Webb said.
Webb said she didn’t recall whether or not PCSSD personnel had checked with her as Jeter’s reference before he was hired.
Jeter said that while academics were his priority, he never neglected his duties as athletic director for the district.
TOP STORY >> Roundup of holiday activities
By RICKY HARVEY
Leader managing editor
Many area churches have spent the past couple of weeks preparing and distributing food baskets for needy families and at least one church will host a Thanksgiving Day meal for those in need on Thursday.
First United Methodist Church in Beebe will host a noon lunch on Thursday for anyone in need. There are no eligibility requirements for the free meal, which last year drew a crowd of 375 hungry diners.
“One year we had someone just passing through town who saw our sign and just came in and ate,” said Bill Palmisano, coordinator of the event.
The VFW post in Jacksonville hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 238 guests on Saturday.
“It went very well,” said Paula Jahoda, assistant manager at the VFW. “The size of crowd we had was just about average.”
First Baptist Church in Jacksonville was one of many churches in the area which prepared food baskets.
“We just delivered our final one just a little bit ago,” the church secretary said Tuesday afternoon.
The Cabot Rotary Club held their annual Thanksgiving food drive and used money earned from a four-wheeler give-away to buy food at a discounted price from Kroger in Cabot.
On Saturday, 150 care baskets were put together and delivered in Lonoke County, including 30 baskets which were delivered to spouses of airmen deployed overseas.
The leadership personnel at Little Rock Air Force Base will serve airmen Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, according to 1st Lt. Jon Quinlan.
“The command chief and commander are among those who serve Thanksgiving dinner to the troops who are here,” Quinlan said.
“All the airmen who are required to stay on base or students who can’t go home come and eat. We usually have a full house.”
Leader managing editor
Many area churches have spent the past couple of weeks preparing and distributing food baskets for needy families and at least one church will host a Thanksgiving Day meal for those in need on Thursday.
First United Methodist Church in Beebe will host a noon lunch on Thursday for anyone in need. There are no eligibility requirements for the free meal, which last year drew a crowd of 375 hungry diners.
“One year we had someone just passing through town who saw our sign and just came in and ate,” said Bill Palmisano, coordinator of the event.
The VFW post in Jacksonville hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 238 guests on Saturday.
“It went very well,” said Paula Jahoda, assistant manager at the VFW. “The size of crowd we had was just about average.”
First Baptist Church in Jacksonville was one of many churches in the area which prepared food baskets.
“We just delivered our final one just a little bit ago,” the church secretary said Tuesday afternoon.
The Cabot Rotary Club held their annual Thanksgiving food drive and used money earned from a four-wheeler give-away to buy food at a discounted price from Kroger in Cabot.
On Saturday, 150 care baskets were put together and delivered in Lonoke County, including 30 baskets which were delivered to spouses of airmen deployed overseas.
The leadership personnel at Little Rock Air Force Base will serve airmen Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, according to 1st Lt. Jon Quinlan.
“The command chief and commander are among those who serve Thanksgiving dinner to the troops who are here,” Quinlan said.
“All the airmen who are required to stay on base or students who can’t go home come and eat. We usually have a full house.”
TOP STORY >> FEMA funding ends soon
Leader staff report
“Right now, we’re trying to find a house to rent,” said Wade Morgan, 26, who has hunkered down at the Holiday Inn Express in Lonoke with his 2-year-old son and his son’s mother and said he was looking forward to a fresh start.
The 1,023 families evacuated from hurricanes Katrina and Rita still living in Arkansas hotels — 2,083 people in all — will have to pay living costs out-of-pocket either with Federal Emer-gency Management Agency rental housing aid or from their own funds after an extended Jan. 7 deadline, according Bob Alvey, public affairs officer for the Arkansas FEMA office.
“No one is being kicked out, it’s just the rooms aren’t going to be paid for automatically,” Alvey said.
In the immediate wake of Hurri-cane Katrina, and then Hurricane Rita, the Holiday Inn Express was disaster central for evacuees in the Lonoke area. Now Morgan and his family are the last remaining family seeking refuge.
“We’re probably moving back toward Baton Rouge or to Tulsa,” he said, adding he has filled out paperwork, but has yet to be approved for FEMA help with an apartment or rental house.
Three or four families have settled in Lonoke, according to Mayor Thomas Privett.
Morgan expects to be moved out by the end of December. While the motel room has been a great help, it’s been claustrophobic, he said.
Morgan, an oil refinery construction worker, says the rent home he had in the New Orleans area was ruined.
He has some possessions secure in a mini storage, he said.
“They can pay for the rooms with housing-aid money from FEMA but it is more cost effective to put that money towards rent,” Alvey said.
By Jan. 7, the thousands of evacuees who receive FEMA housing aid in vouchers issued though state or local authorities will have to sign a rental lease to remain eligible for the funding.
According to an Associated Press report, the hotel rooms have cost FEMA $274 million since the storms struck.
Critics say FEMA has not given evacuees enough time to find homes and sign leases — a process that can take months in rental markets already nearing capacity. So far, FEMA says it has provided $1.2 billion in transitional housing assistance to more than 500,000 households displaced by the hurricanes.
Locally, there are 319 families of hurricane evacuees living in hotels in Pulaski County, four families are living in hotels in White County and one evacuee is living in a Lonoke motel. Families will need to apply and qualify by Dec. 1 for the assistance, Alvey said.
“These evacuee numbers are very fluid because these are the people who have returned data sheets to FEMA, it can go up or down as more people apply or people return home,” Alvey said.
In Jacksonville, there are three families still living in hotels.
“Those families are filling out paperwork with the Jacksonville Housing Authority to get into homes,” said Angie Mitchell, a volunteer with the Hurricane Katrina Assistance Center in Jacksonville.
Although the center closed in mid-November, the center still helps evacuees with assistance through the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. Mitchell spent most of this week passing out vouchers for free turkeys from Kroger to the 100 evacuee families who have housing in Jacksonville.
Approximately 15,856 families had applied for FEMA assistance in Arkansas since Katrina hit on Aug. 29, followed by Rita on Sept. 24.
FEMA granted extensions to 9,830 families in hotels in Louisi-ana and 2,508 in hotels in Mississippi, where there is a housing shortage, according to Alvey. Evacuees in those states have until Jan. 7 to find homes. Additionally, the six-month leases for evacuees living on cruise ships will end March 1. FEMA previously had set the December deadline as a goal to have evacuees out of hotels and into travel trailers, mobile homes or apartments until they find permanent homes.
The FEMA deadline for getting out of hotels and into more permanent housing was never an issue in Cabot and Beebe.
Peggy Moss, chairman of Cabot KARE, said that organization worked closely with Alan Turnbo with the Cabot Housing Authority to get families into permanent housing as soon as they arrived.
Currently, 40-45 families call the Cabot area home, she said.
As for Cabot KARE, headquartered in the old Knight’s grocery store, it has closed its doors. Moss said the tentative plan for donations stored there is to sell them in a rummage sale and divide the proceeds among the hurricane victims.
Julie Hill, with Beebe KARES, said the hotel deadline was never an issue in Beebe.
“Our folks went into housing or they went back home,” Hill said.
As for the organization she co-chaired with husband Paul Hill, Beebe’s clerk-treasurer, Hill said it’s not closing its doors. It will stay around in some form to help those in need.
In Sherwood, about 95 percent of Chief Elwin Warhorse Gillum’s St. Tammany Parrish Native American Tribe have moved from the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church to the Park Crest apartments, with the rest living elsewhere, according to Pastor Larry Potts.
The church keeps its laundro-mat open for the Native Americans, and several of them attend services there and are active in the music ministry, he said.
“Right now, we’re trying to find a house to rent,” said Wade Morgan, 26, who has hunkered down at the Holiday Inn Express in Lonoke with his 2-year-old son and his son’s mother and said he was looking forward to a fresh start.
The 1,023 families evacuated from hurricanes Katrina and Rita still living in Arkansas hotels — 2,083 people in all — will have to pay living costs out-of-pocket either with Federal Emer-gency Management Agency rental housing aid or from their own funds after an extended Jan. 7 deadline, according Bob Alvey, public affairs officer for the Arkansas FEMA office.
“No one is being kicked out, it’s just the rooms aren’t going to be paid for automatically,” Alvey said.
In the immediate wake of Hurri-cane Katrina, and then Hurricane Rita, the Holiday Inn Express was disaster central for evacuees in the Lonoke area. Now Morgan and his family are the last remaining family seeking refuge.
“We’re probably moving back toward Baton Rouge or to Tulsa,” he said, adding he has filled out paperwork, but has yet to be approved for FEMA help with an apartment or rental house.
Three or four families have settled in Lonoke, according to Mayor Thomas Privett.
Morgan expects to be moved out by the end of December. While the motel room has been a great help, it’s been claustrophobic, he said.
Morgan, an oil refinery construction worker, says the rent home he had in the New Orleans area was ruined.
He has some possessions secure in a mini storage, he said.
“They can pay for the rooms with housing-aid money from FEMA but it is more cost effective to put that money towards rent,” Alvey said.
By Jan. 7, the thousands of evacuees who receive FEMA housing aid in vouchers issued though state or local authorities will have to sign a rental lease to remain eligible for the funding.
According to an Associated Press report, the hotel rooms have cost FEMA $274 million since the storms struck.
Critics say FEMA has not given evacuees enough time to find homes and sign leases — a process that can take months in rental markets already nearing capacity. So far, FEMA says it has provided $1.2 billion in transitional housing assistance to more than 500,000 households displaced by the hurricanes.
Locally, there are 319 families of hurricane evacuees living in hotels in Pulaski County, four families are living in hotels in White County and one evacuee is living in a Lonoke motel. Families will need to apply and qualify by Dec. 1 for the assistance, Alvey said.
“These evacuee numbers are very fluid because these are the people who have returned data sheets to FEMA, it can go up or down as more people apply or people return home,” Alvey said.
In Jacksonville, there are three families still living in hotels.
“Those families are filling out paperwork with the Jacksonville Housing Authority to get into homes,” said Angie Mitchell, a volunteer with the Hurricane Katrina Assistance Center in Jacksonville.
Although the center closed in mid-November, the center still helps evacuees with assistance through the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. Mitchell spent most of this week passing out vouchers for free turkeys from Kroger to the 100 evacuee families who have housing in Jacksonville.
Approximately 15,856 families had applied for FEMA assistance in Arkansas since Katrina hit on Aug. 29, followed by Rita on Sept. 24.
FEMA granted extensions to 9,830 families in hotels in Louisi-ana and 2,508 in hotels in Mississippi, where there is a housing shortage, according to Alvey. Evacuees in those states have until Jan. 7 to find homes. Additionally, the six-month leases for evacuees living on cruise ships will end March 1. FEMA previously had set the December deadline as a goal to have evacuees out of hotels and into travel trailers, mobile homes or apartments until they find permanent homes.
The FEMA deadline for getting out of hotels and into more permanent housing was never an issue in Cabot and Beebe.
Peggy Moss, chairman of Cabot KARE, said that organization worked closely with Alan Turnbo with the Cabot Housing Authority to get families into permanent housing as soon as they arrived.
Currently, 40-45 families call the Cabot area home, she said.
As for Cabot KARE, headquartered in the old Knight’s grocery store, it has closed its doors. Moss said the tentative plan for donations stored there is to sell them in a rummage sale and divide the proceeds among the hurricane victims.
Julie Hill, with Beebe KARES, said the hotel deadline was never an issue in Beebe.
“Our folks went into housing or they went back home,” Hill said.
As for the organization she co-chaired with husband Paul Hill, Beebe’s clerk-treasurer, Hill said it’s not closing its doors. It will stay around in some form to help those in need.
In Sherwood, about 95 percent of Chief Elwin Warhorse Gillum’s St. Tammany Parrish Native American Tribe have moved from the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church to the Park Crest apartments, with the rest living elsewhere, according to Pastor Larry Potts.
The church keeps its laundro-mat open for the Native Americans, and several of them attend services there and are active in the music ministry, he said.
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